Master of Disaster
by TheRani1981
Summary: My name is Edward Cullen and I am a Dom. I am not a Dom by choice. I did it for HER. When I first saw her at one of Jasper’s play parties, I felt my world changing and I decided to do anything to be with her. AH/AU OOC Graphic Lemons and Dark Theme
1. Chapter 1

**AN/ Hello everyone and welcome to Master of Disaster. This is a story, me and my friend Tropical Sorbet are co-writing, so you will find the story on my page as well as on hers! I would like to warn you: this story will contain dark themes and might not always be to your satisfaction, but I can assure you we will do our best to not let it get too dark. It's our first Fanfic, so be patient with us! I read a lot of fanfics here before I decided to write my own, my friend and co-writer Tropical Sorbet encouraged me and we decided to give it a try. We are inspired by many of the well known and very good stories here on Fanfiction. We hope you like our story! You know we need your Feedback in order to know, if we are doing a good job or are totally off track, so tell us what you think!**

**A big thank you to our amazing beta**** star-chan89!! You did a great Job!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT! THE STORY AND IT'S CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER!**

**

* * *

  
**

My name is Edward Cullen and I am a Dom.

I am not a Dom by choice. I did it for _her. _When I first saw _her_ at one of Jasper's play parties, I felt my world changing and I decided to do anything to be with her.

* * *

"Come on, man! It's my Good-bye party. You have to attend it!" Jasper whined.

I told him so many times I am not interested in his lifestyle and although I have nothing against it, I really didn't want to go watch people having kinky sex in front of me. I told him as much.

"Edward, grow some balls, man. You don't have to watch anyone. Celebrate with me and Alice. Emmett and Rose are coming, too." Jasper still tried to argue with me. "Edward you better say yes, or else I am going to unleash Alice on you. Let's see how you try to say no to her." The smug bastard played a card he knew was going to tip the balance in his favour.

Alice is like a force of nature you can't really say no to anything she wants.

"Fine," I gave up. "I am coming, but don't you dare try to introduce me to one of your former playmates. And while we are at it I am not going to watch any scenes, I won't be speaking to any of your freak friends and I will just stay for an hour. Take it or leave it Whitlock; I am not going to discuss my demands." I snapped at him. I hated being forced into this kind of party and my sister and my best friend knew it all too well.

I knew of Alice and Jasper's lifestyle from the beginning and though the thought of my sister, playing slave to Jasper disgusted me, to say the least, I was never one to judge. It was her life after all, and I knew Jasper loved her. I was happy they finally were going to give up this lifestyle to settle down and get married. Who am I kidding I was fucking relieved.

Jasper laughed "Agreed, Edward, but don't blame me if Alice won't be happy with your _demands._ Man, lighten up, we are talking about a party and you make it sound like a fucking business negotiation. I'll see you at nine, our place."

After he hung up I went back to thinking about what I had just agreed to. When Alice first met Jasper in my office after she returned from boarding school in Paris, she fell in love with him instantly. They had never met before because whenever Alice was home spending her vacation time with us, Jasper was away on his annual family reunion in Austria.

I tried everything I could to keep her away from him. My last shot was telling her about Jasper's lifestyle, but my freak of a sister was just turned on more. From then on she was only reading books about BDSM. Of course Jasper had noticed her right away too, and though he had a collared sub at the time, he broke up with Maria and tried to impress me by living a 'normal' life, in order for me to let him ask Alice out on a date. Needless to say I was totally against this date. Don't get me wrong, I love Jasper, he was my friend since my first day of college and I knew from the beginning that he was a Dom, which I never cared for. Like I said before I am not one to judge and I wouldn't like anyone judging me.

I am a Pilot for my father's Airline Company 'Eclipse Airlines' like the old cliché I have many dates and partners all around the world, but I never entertained the thought of having a long term relationship. This was mainly due to the fact that I simply had no time to make a woman happy and my conquests were more than enough for me. Who wants to give up the goodies all over the world for just one girl? Not me!

I knew that Jasper had tried 'Normal' for Alice's sake and that she was a grown woman, so how could I deny him a date with her? Alice would kill me if she ever found out that Jasper had had an interest in her and I stopped him from asking her out. Trust me you don't want to be on the bad side of a furious Alice.

That's how Jasper and Alice became a couple. After awhile Alice wanted Jasper to be himself again and they decided to be Dom and Sub on weekends. Although I was repulsed I didn't say anything. I only warned Jasper that if he ever really hurt my little sister I was going to kill him and warned him to never treat her as a Sub in public. Jasper knew I wasn't shitting him and with Emmett by my side he understand how serious both of us were. I don't give a shit what they do in their Playroom, but my little sister wasn't going to be a submissive in front of other people and sure as hell not in front of me.

Now almost four years later they finally wanted to get married and have a family. They agreed on having a 'normal' life and therefore they were throwing a good-bye party, which I was forced to attend now. Who knew they also throw parties for people who wanted to leave the scene?

I went back to my work and tried not to think of what was awaiting me that night.

The night came faster than I had anticipated and I was still annoyed that I had agreed to it. As soon as I entered Jasper's house Alice came running towards me. Thank goodness she was dressed regularly, nothing kinky. I smiled to myself, even now after almost four years and though they were engaged, Jasper still remembered the warning Emmett and I gave him.

"E!!! You're finally here." Alice squeaked. She ran with such force into my arms that both of us swayed for a moment. I steadied myself and put my tie in order before replying to her.

"Hi, Freak! I am not late. Jasper said nine o'clock and here I am. So, why did you try to knock me over?" I smiled triumphantly at her and watched while she tried hard to reign herself in.

"Edward, how many times did I tell you not to call me Freak?"

"Alice, how many times did _I_ ask you not to call me E?" I countered.

"OK, I get it. If I call you E you will call me Freak. You could have simply asked you know; no need to be rude."

I sighed. "Alice, I _have_ asked you so many times and yet you only back off when I call you Freak. I think it works like a spell."

"Edward, I am not going to argue with you tonight and I know what you are trying to do. I am not gonna get annoyed and throw you out of the party. And just so you know, no way in hell are you going home after an hour. We are having a great program and you are going to stay till the End." Alice explained, without stopping once to take a breath.

Damn, I thought to myself, I really should try new tactics with her; she can look right through me. I wasn't surprised that my agreement with Jasper wasn't honoured by my sister, I'm not delusional. Still, I was horrified by the idea of having to watch any programs.

"C'mon now Big C., they are waiting for you." Alice ushered me to a corner where Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie, Emmett's wife were having drinks.

I hated 'Big C.' as much as I hated Alice calling me E., but I wasn't going to correct her again. Alice was...well Alice.

I was happy to see Emmett and Rosalie, because both of them were as uncomfortable here as I was, we were kindred souls. Jasper greeted me with a smug smile on his face. The bastard knew I had entered the lion's den and there was no escape for me now. I nudged his shoulder a little harder than necessary, but he knew better than to voice his pain.

"I'm glad you made it, Edward." He said while rubbing his shoulder.

"Oh, I am sure you are Jasper. I just don't think you will be as happy when I leave again." I replied in a menacing voice.

"Man, you are grumpy. Relax, Edward, it's a party for fuck's sake." He laughed at his own ambiguous statement.

I ignored him and turned to Emmett and Rosalie. Emmett was obviously as out of place as I was. He kept his eyes on his drink with such an effort it was hilarious.

"Hey Em, how's it going? What's so interesting about your drink?" I teased him.

"Very funny Edward." He retorted.

Rosalie gave me a hug. Rosalie is the kind of woman any man would look at twice. Not only was she incredibly beautiful she also had a visible self-confidence, which could put any queen to shame. She and my brother has been a couple since high-school, after, Emmett attended college in Europe while Rose stayed in the United States. It was their ultimate test and they had vowed that if they were to survive the long distance relationship, they would get married soon after graduation. They had been married now for almost two years. I loved them both for being able to survive all the obstacles they had in their lives.

I didn't envy them though, because being married was just not on my list of things I wanted to do before dying. They were perfect together, Emmett the never growing up child in the body of a man and Rose a woman since she was six, I think. Where Emmett was irresponsible, Rose was one to never take risks. She planned everything. I think she even plans to have a plan. They complemented one another in every way possible.

"Don't tease him, Edward. I told him I am gonna make his life hell if he even glimpses toward any of these half naked women." Rose explained Emmett's situation.

"As if any of them could compare to you, Rose" Alice chimed in. "Besides, most of them are collared subs, Rose, they wouldn't dare to look to anyone without their master's order."

"Ugh, too much information, Alice." I really didn't want to hear any details about this way of living. It was enough I was here to party with my sister and her soon to be husband. I didn't need a crash course on BDSM.

"Edward, don't be a pussy. I was just trying to appease, Rose," Alice said.

"Did you just call me a pussy, Alice?" I asked in mocked disbelieve. "Jasper, how do you allow your fiancée to speak in this manner in front of you?"

"I thought you warned me to never treat her as a Sub in your presence?"

_Well played, Whitlock_, I thought to myself.

"Besides, she's not my sub anymore. Remember? It's a goodbye-party." He continued.

"I don't mind if you chastise her one last time for being rude to her elder brother." I laughed.

"Edward, you just complained about me giving to much information. With this kind of comment it's like you are asking for more. Chastisement is only possible while we are at a scene and I break the rules, which we are not and you are definitely not part of a scene we are playing, so Jasper would never spank me because I am rude to you."

"Damn it, Alice. Now I need at least ten drinks to get rid of the disturbing mental picture you just gave me" Emmet bellowed.

Alice jumped slightly at Emmett's outburst and we all laughed. I never understood why Alice respected Emmett more than me. After all I was the eldest and yet she still seemed to feel uneasy around Emmett, whenever she did something she thought might enrage us. I was forever closer to her and she always confided in me and so did Emmett. I used to think that was Emmett's role cause he was the middle child, but mom once told me I should be proud, because I clearly did something right and that's why both of them are so close to me.

Thinking of mom I found something new to tease Alice about: "You didn't invite mom and dad, Alice?"

"Ha Ha, Edward. That's not funny." Alice grimaced at me.

Our parents might be the most wonderful parents on earth, but if they knew Jasper's true nature, or rather former nature now, they would never have approved of him. When Alice first saw Jasper and insisted on getting to know him, I briefly thought of telling my parents about him, so they would forbid Alice to go out with him, but I couldn't bring myself to betray my best friends' confidence. I could never be so cruel. Emmett and I agreed on covering for them whenever needed, because no one wanted Carlisle Cullen to find out about this. My dad and I are much alike. We are open and loving, but only towards the people we care for, in this case our family. While Jasper was only my best friend dad treated him with distant respect and formality. The day Jasper came to pick up Alice for their first date was also the first time Carlisle actually talked about personal stuff with Jasper. He was still strict with him but as soon as Jasper asked for Alice's hand, dad finally treated him normal. I can't imagine what dad would have done to Jasper if he knew he was enslaving his baby-girl.

"Dad's not in town anyway. He has this thing in Florida." Emmett was never one to give "things" their right name.

I laughed. "It's called a convention, Em. You are twenty-eight now, when are you going to learn how to address things by their names?"

"That's a lost cause, Edward. Believe me, I tried my best. Did you know his reports are a disaster? I am the one to fill in the blanks for him." Rose stated. She was also Emmett's PA, because though she was a very confident woman she was also very jealous.

The discussion went on for about ten minutes, when suddenly Jasper inhaled sharply and his face turned crimson red.

"Mary Alice Cullen, did _**you**_ invite James?" His tone was very sharp and he looked at Alice like she just committed a capital sin. I never saw Jasper looking at Alice this way, let alone address her by her full name. Alice cringed and looked guilty.

I had no idea what was going on. I turned to look at what caused Jasper to admonish Alice this way and saw a man entering with a little entourage. He looked like anyone else at this party. He was about my age, tall, long blonde hair, which he bounded together with a simple leather band at his neck. His entourage consisted of two other males, who looked like bodyguards and two women. One of the women seemed to be his equal, because she didn't look at her feet like the other one. She was almost as tall as this so called James, bright red hair, like flames and she wore an astonishing cocktail dress. To any other man's eye she might look gorgeous, but to me she simply looked like any other woman. The other woman, however, drew my attention.

She wore a simple black camisole and a black skirt. Her eyes were downcast and her brown hair bound in a sloppy ponytail. She didn't look like someone who's attending a party. She looked like she was at a funeral. I couldn't see her face, but something in her demeanor, slouchy and defeated, gave me this impression.

"Jasper, please don't be angry. I just wanted to see Bella again, that's why I invited them. You know we won't ever see her again after tonight and I really wanted to say goodbye to her." Alice was trying to explain to Jasper.

"Alice, I know how much you love Bella, but you know it's never a good idea to invite James to play parties. You could have warned me." Jasper ran his hand through his hair and I chuckled. Being my friend has taught Jasper many of my habits, like running his hands through his hair whenever he felt exasperated. They didn't pay me any attention.

"Please, Jasper, don't be mad. Now put on a happy face and greet him, he's coming." Alice turned with a fake smile to greet the arriving entourage. "James, Victoria it's so nice you could make it. May I greet, Bella?"

I wondered, why Alice was asking permission to greet someone, but then again I thought I didn't really want to know.

"Thank you for your invitation, Alice." James replied in what one could only call a chilling voice. "Of course you may greet, Bella." He turned to the woman standing behind him. "Isabella, you may speak freely with Alice. Straighten your back and look up, when addressed."

She looked up and I was absolutely taken by surprise by what I saw. The most beautiful and most sad brown eyes I have ever seen looked up.

That's when our eyes met for the first time.

* * *

**Reviews will make us update faster..next Chapter is already written! :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN Thanks to all of you who reviewed! We are really glad you liked the first Chapter! Thanks also to all, who added the story as a favorite or to their story Alert...won't you tell us what you thought about it?**

**So here is Chapter 2 and we really hope you like this one, too! Keep the reviews coming and we might start sending teaser to the people, who review. We are not being mean we just don't know how else we can give you a teaser except as a reply to reviews. **

**A big thank you to our amazing beta**** star-chan89!! You did a great Job!**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DON'T OWN TWILIGHT OR IT'S CHARACTERS. THEY STILL BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER.**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 2

EPOV

An elbow in my side brought me back to reality. I looked angrily at Jasper. He didn't look remorseful; he just shook his head infinitesimally. I didn't understand but let it go. I watched as Alice went around James and embraced Bella.

"Bella, honey, how are you?" she asked. Wait a second, did Alice just ask for permission to greet _**her friend**_? And did this man just tell Bella to straighten her back and look up? Did that mean Bella was James' Sub? Was that usual in a BDSM relationship? I so didn't want to know all of this, but for some reason this girl held my interest. I decided I would ask Jasper or Alice later. I wanted to hear the woman's voice so desperately.

"I am fine thank you, Alice. Thank you for inviting my Master to your Party." The most adoring voice I have ever heard came out of Bella's mouth. Though like her eyes, her voice sounded void and sad.

Again I felt an elbow in my side. "What?" I almost shouted at Jasper.

"May I introduce you to my soon to be brother in law and best friend Edward Cullen, James. Edward this is James." Jasper rushed into introducing us.

No last name. Interesting.

I extended my hand and shook James' hand. "Nice to meet you."

I really didn't want to do the formalities. I wanted to listen in to Alice's and Bella's conversation.

"I heard a lot about you Mr. Cullen." James was still shaking my hand. I nodded and took my hand back without much of an answer. I noticed Jasper didn't introduce the rest of them to me and neither did he introduce Emmett and Rose. _What the fuck?_

Alice spoke again: "Bella would you like something to drink?"

Bella seemed to think about it before she replied. "Yes, please, Alice."

Jasper hurried in offering James and his entourage something to drink as well. James turned to Bella and Alice. "Isabella, greedy much?" he asked. What the hell? What was going on here? Alice had asked her and she didn't even jump into it. She took her time before she answered and accepting a drink isn't greedy, is it? I was totally confused. What was going on here? Why was Jasper so angry, when he saw James? Why was Alice so attached to Bella and why was everyone acting so weird? _This was totally not my scene._

Alice reappeared with Bella's drink. I hadn't noticed she was gone. Bella looked very reluctant to take the drink now and I felt like punching this guy for calling her greedy.

.

"You ordered the drink, now take it, Isabella." James was still poking on her.

What was this guy's problem? I hated situations in which I am unaware of what was going on around me. He didn't say anything to his bodyguards or Victoria for having drinks.

"Please forgive me, James. I should have asked you first before asking Bella." Alice was now apologizing to him? Where did I land? In bizarro-world?

"It's OK, Alice. Isabella knows better than accepting an offer before my approval. I did however allow her to speak freely to you, so I am going to let it slide. No such mistake again, Isabella." James spoke to my sister in a way I didn't like, condescending. I looked at Jasper and he looked like he had the same thought as me.

"Enjoy the party, James. The Playroom is at the end of the hallway. Please feel free to use it, although keep in mind no hard play in my house, James." Jasper sounded like he just dismissed this James and I loved him even more for being my sisters fiancée at this moment. I know he can take care of her. I just didn't like him offering his playroom to this man. Did it mean he was going to display Bella in front of all these people in the Playroom? That was so fucked up. I couldn't understand, how a beautiful woman like Isabella chose such a life, but then again so did Alice. Maybe she loved this James? I felt hurt and this emotion disturbed me even more than the whole situation in front of me. Why should I care? It's her life and I didn't even know her. Nevertheless the sadness in her eyes and her voice pulled me in.

"Thank you, Jasper, but I won't be playing now. Maybe later. I think, your Slave invited us only for Isabella's sake and since I didn't bring you any gifts I will gift her some time with Isabella." James made it sound like he was doing Alice a great favour.

_**Did this asshole **__**just refer to my sister as a slave?**_

"What did you..." I started, but Jasper interrupted me.

"You mean my **fiancée.**" he corrected in a clipped tone.

_That's all, Whitlock?_ I thought_. Just wait till he's gone Jasper, and I am going to beat the shit out of __**you**_.

I gave him a deadly look, which he couldn't see, because he was still looking at James.

"Of course, Jasper. Will you excuse us." James nodded at me and Jasper and turned to speak to Bella and Alice. "Isabella, stay with Alice as long as she requires your attendance. After you are finished come to the playroom. Alice, please return her before midnight. I would love to try your playroom." With this he turned on his heels and mingled.

As soon as he was out of sight I shouted at Jasper: "What the fuck, Jasper? He called my sister a slave and you didn't break his Jaw?"

Emmett was by my side as soon as he heard the words sister and slave. "What?" he roared. "Did I just hear, what I think I heard?"

"This Shithead called our sister a slave and Jasper did nothing about it. He just fucking corrected him" I explained.

Suddenly Alice was between us shoving me and Emmett away from her fiancée. "Guys, please, we are at a party and there are people around us, who are starting to stare at us."

"Like I care, Alice. Get out of the way. I was about to set this James right and your _man_ interrupted me, just to fucking correct him. You are in for a treat, Whitlock." I was too enraged to care about any of the people around us and I wanted Alice out of the way, before she got hurt.

"Edward, Em, please, calm down and I will explain." Alice pleaded now with us.

Rose put her arm on Emmett's shoulder and he appeared to calm a little. I was still furious and not only because of what James called my sister, but also because of the whole crazy situation and the way he spoke to Alice.

"Excuse me," a low voice sounded beside me and I looked up and saw Bella standing beside me. "I don't mean to interfere, but Jasper was just trying to spare me any punishment later. Please don't be mad at him. He knows James and he knows that if he angered him, he will take it out on me later." _What?_

"I bet you would love your little game anyway. I don't see why your choice of partner should insult my sister." I spoke without filtering what was coming out of my mouth.

I recognized I made a mistake as soon as I spoke those words. It was not my place to question her choice of life or partner. I was so enraged I didn't recognize I criticized a complete stranger for her lifestyle. Bella looked at me wide-eyed and before she turned around to run upstairs I saw tears in her eyes.

"Shit, Edward. Why can't you shut your fucking mouth? See, what you have done?" Alice screeched at me.

She shoved me harder than before and ran after Bella. I ran my hand through my hair and exhaled slowly. I fucked up. I never fuck up. Not with women anyway. When it comes to my family I know no taboo, but I never attack women.

I turned to Jasper, who was silent during this whole mess. "I need some answers right _now _Jasper or I am going to loose control and this time there is no Alice to cover you."

I have known Jasper for quite a long time now. I have never seen him acting the way he did. I am an impulsive guy, I can hardly control my outbursts, which by the way gets me in a lot of trouble with my dad usually, and that's why Jasper and I work out great. We are alike, we don't take shit from people and no one insults what's ours. I didn't understand what was going on with him tonight. He was acting like this James had some leverage on him. Why didn't he defend Alice? I don't know if the word 'slave' was an insult in his lifestyle or not, but he knew it is for me and Emmett and he knew Alice would feel hurt by this. I waited for him to answer me and yet he was just glaring at me, like I am a fucking Idiot.

"Jasper, do you need help to spill the beans? My fist is more than willing to help you!" Emmett said, looking down at Jasper.

Rose had enough; she punched Emmett in his shoulder and stormed in to the same direction that Alice took and before her Bella. With Rose gone Jasper's situation was getting worse. Emmett can control his emotions better than me, but it's Rose who causes this control. With her gone Chances were good Jasper was getting his share tonight.

"Would you two please calm down? What is it with you Cullens? Damn, you should have been a gang not a family. Jeez! Let's go somewhere more private. I am not going to talk here. Fucking Party!" Jasper rambled. _Amen, Jazz._

Jasper turned on his heels and took the stairs to the second floor. Was he really going to take us where the women are, to discuss this? _No way._

I knew Jazz is no coward and he wasn't turning to Alice to protect him, so me and Emmett followed him. Once we reached the second floor Jasper turned right and took the hallway to his study room. We arrived at his door and he ushered us in, followed and closed the door. I was getting annoyed with his attitude.

"Jazz,..." I began to say.

"Edward, you wanted to know why I didn't beat the shit out of James for calling Alice my slave. Now shut the fuck up and let me explain to you." He interrupted. "I am going to tell you, but you have to promise me it's going to stay between the three of us. You two dickheads are not going to storm out of this room and make the situation worse than it already is."

_What was fucking happening here?_

_

* * *

_**Again a cliffhanger. Please forgive me for that. My co-writer and me just thought we do need to get you attached first.**

**Like I mentioned before a teaser for all the reviewers. I am willing to take the time to send to every single one of you a teaser as a reply to your reviews, even negative ones. :-)  
**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN/ Here we are again with a new Chapter. There is a small Warning regarding this Chapter, James gets his way with Bella in this one. Please remember she is his slave and James is not a regular Dom. We tried to avoid being too graphic. **

**So this is a longer Chapter than the previous two..Our question is now: What do you prefer? Longer Chapters or rather short ones? Let us know and we offer the same bribe, like we did with the last Chapter: Review and we will send you a teaser! Remember you need to be logged in so we can send you a teaser :-)**

**Thanks to our wonderful beta ****star-chan89**** for finding the time to proofread this Chapter though she's got exams right now!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT...STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS TWILIGHT AND IT'S CHARACTERS.**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 3

BPOV

I was so glad when I heard James telling Victoria that Alice invited him to her party. I love Alice and I know she's leaving the scene and although this might be the last chance I get to spend time with her, I was glad to see her tonight. There was no doubt; James was going to take me with him. He never passed up such an opportunity, an opportunity to humiliate me further.

My life was fucked up on so many levels, I gave up counting them. I knew he would call me in a few minutes to tell me to get ready for the party. I prepared myself mentally to face him.

I closed my eyes and counted to 10 slowly.

"Isabella, you filthy slut..... Drag your ass up here." James voice was nearer than I thought and I sighed and got up. As soon as I did so, I prayed he didn't hear me, but God left me months ago. Hell, I think he left me 2 years ago when I met James.

"Did you, cunt, fucking sigh at me?" he roared and burst into my room. If you could even call it a room. It was a small space designed to be a closet, but it happened to be in James' bedroom so he kept me in there. When I say kept me I mean as in keeping an animal.

I flinched reflexively. I knew what was coming now. I fucking knew better than sighing when James asked me for anything. He was already pulling his belt off when Victoria appeared in the doorframe.

"James, honey, what are you doing?" Her voice was very sweet. I never dreaded her more than when her voice was this sweet. It only meant she had a more devious idea than what James wanted to do. He turned around to face her.

"The bitch sighed at me, Victoria. She deserves a punishment. I take it you have a better idea than her usual punishment for this penalty?" He questioned her.

_Of course she has a better idea, she always does, Shithead. _I thought to myself.

"I was thinking," Victoria explained, "What does Bella hate the most? Being played in public, right? We are going to a play party, honey; I bet a session at Alice's party is punishment enough for her."

_Noo! _I screamed mentally. _Not at Alice's Party. Not there. Please, God, please, hear me out this time; do not let James accept her offer. _

There was no need to plead with God, because when James turned to me I knew he loved Victoria's idea. He always loved to debase me. A few red marks on my back were not as good as my screams in a playroom with an audience. I hung my head in defeat.

_You can do this, you can do this. _I chanted to myself. I was determined not to be broken. If I showed him how much I feared this idea, he was only going to like it more and think of better ways to get screams out of me.

"So be it, love. Give her something to wear Vicky and get ready. I want us to leave in thirty minutes. Tell Taylor and Eric we are going out tonight. I know, the bitch won't make troubles, but it never hurts to be prepared." He ordered and went out of the room.

_God, no! _If he's taking Eric and Taylor that means he's planning a pain scene_. What did you think, Bella, he was only going to punish you by having a normal bond-scene?_ I scoffed mentally at the word 'normal'. Nothing with James was normal. Even while I dated him there was nothing normal about this guy. How did I ever not see how diabolical he is?

Victoria snatched me out of my thoughts. "Say thank you, Isabella, I saved you some scars." _Yes, hag, only to cause me severe pain later, with an audience!! Thanks._

"Thank you, Victoria."

"Now, now, Isabella. I taught you how to call me two days ago. I can't believe my lesson has been forgotten so quickly. I think we will make sure tonight that you won't ever forget it again."

_Shit, shit, shit, shit. What was wrong with me? Head in the game, Bella. I know you are happy to see Alice again but you are causing yourself more trouble than you already have. _

"I am sorry, Mistress. Thank you Mistress." I tried to correct my mistake, but I knew Victoria would never let it go. My apology would only save me from going to bed hungry tonight.

"That's better, Isabella. Now get dressed. Black skirt and black camisole, hair in a ponytail. You will be ready in ten minutes. Don't be late. You don't want James to punish you before we leave ."

_No, slut! It's always better to make him wait, because he will be so gentle tonight after waiting so long for the punishment to take place._

She left without another word and I was thankful for that. I wanted to prepare for tonight and I had only ten minutes. Talking to myself was helping a lot. Since I no longer had the privilege to talk whenever I wanted, the mental talking was a great help. Some people would think I am crazy, but then again sometimes even I think I'm crazy. After all I've been through the last three months; crazy was no longer an insult for me.

I was ready in the set time and our little group took the limousine to Jasper's house. Eric and Taylor were sitting on either side of me and James and Victoria on the opposite seat. They were drinking Champagne. I was so thirsty and James knew how much I needed to drink something after our activities this afternoon.

_No, Bella, you are not dwelling on this afternoon's activities_. I tried my best to keep the thoughts away but they just crept into my mind and once again I was in James' horrible dungeon...

"_So, Isabella__, I have been thinking of what we could do today and I came up with a little game, I am sure you will love." James voice came from behind me. _

_I was kneeling naked and eyes on the floor by the door. My usual position in the dungeon. It was a place you would fear, even without knowing what kind of things happened down there. It was like a cellar, dark and gloomy. There were several apparatuses spread across the room, which didn't help make you feel at ease. They scared me, personally. Some of them more than others, because I could see scratch marks on them and I could swear the dark spots on them were dried blood; probably from another poor soul who had to endure James' sick games before me. Maybe it was just the making of my imagination and fear, I didn't know._

"_If I remember correctly, last time we were in here we played on the cross?" James asked, as if he didn't recall the last time. I was sure he did. He had me tied up to the fucking cross for about 6 hours, flogging and playing with torture toys. The bastard even used the clamps to tickle screams out of me. I was proud of myself, because I didn't give him the satisfaction, which was actually not very smart on my part; it kept him trying over and over._

_I felt his hand clutch my hair and he pulled it painfully so my eyes would meet his. "Answer me."_

"_Yes, Master. Last time we used the cross." I forced myself to speak normally, not to let any signs show of how unpleasant his hand felt._

"_Good, girl." he didn't take his hand out of my hair. "Today I would like to show you how it feels to give pleasure under rather unconventional circumstances." _

_His words didn't make any sense to me. What exactly did he have in mind?_

"_Go to the table and lay down there." The personification of Satan ordered._

_I did as I was bid. I wanted to close me eyes and forget everything going on around me, but I knew I was not allowed to. James was by my side in no time, working above me. Cuffing my wrists to a leather strap, which he fastened around my hips, he went on and_ _cuffed my ankles in leather also, together, and the chain going from those cuffs was tied to the ceiling above me. He worked in concentration. It meant he was not talking to me at the moment, which I was thankful for. I needed to detach myself from what was going to happen next. I was good at this. I could do this. James went to a drawer to fetch something out of it and came back to hover over my head. _

"_Isabella, do you know what I am holding in my hand? It's a little box and it contains pearls. We are going to train you today to pleasure me with your mouth while you keep these pearls in it. I like the stimulation of them on my cock." His face was very close to mine while he spoke. _

_How exactly did he think I could do this? How can I suck his cock while I had these things in my mouth? Was this even possible or was he just looking for an excuse to punish me once I failed? He took three pearls out of the box in his hand and put them in his mouth. Ughh, he was planning on putting them in my mouth after he had them in his, how disgusting. He leaned forward and forced an open mouthed kiss on me; with his tongue he shoved one pearl after the other in my mouth. The taste of his saliva was nauseating, because I could taste the alcohol he had been drinking before. _

"_Hold them, bitch, and don't you dare to drop one of them. If you do your punishment will be very harsh." I knew this was an impossible task. He only wanted to punish me. Why didn't he just do it instead of giving me impossible orders?_

_I was afraid to even swallow. I tried to push the pearls under my tongue to swallow carefully. James was holding a single tail whip in his hand and ran it over my body. The single tail whip was a true bitch. It stung like being on fire and I wouldn't be able to scream out in pain or I would drop the pearls. He knew exactly what he was doing. _

"_I won't mark you, Isabella. I have other plans with you later. We will start with ten strokes, if you succeed in keeping your mouth shut and don't drop anything we will move to sucking my cock. If not..." He didn't need to finish his sentence; I knew what he was going to do. He wouldn't care much if he had to mark me then. I braced myself. I could keep my mouth shut._

"_Count out loud, Isabella." My eyes bulged out in disbelief. How was I supposed to keep anything from falling out if I had to open my mouth to count? "What? Did you think I am going to make it easy on you? I wanna make sure you can keep them in there with my cock, so we are going to practice. Start counting." How can one person be so deviled?_

"_Wohne" The first stroke stung a lot and I managed to choke out one though it sounded very strange, because I tried to hold on to the pearls with my tongue. James didn't give me time to recover before he snapped the whip over my chest and hit my breast. "Thoo" I almost screamed. What happened to not marking me? The whip hit me merciless almost without a break and always in a different place. I don't know how but I didn't lose the pearls and counted each and every time. I was so relieved when it was over. _

_James went to the refrigerator in the left corner of the dungeon to retrieve something and I took a quick look at my body. I had exactly ten red lines decorating my front, by night they would turn purple and leave marks. I knew he couldn't control himself._

"_I promised not to mark you. Here you are, keep them on your body." He put two large ice packs on my wounds and for a moment it hurt more than it comforted me. I doubted it would help much. I wondered what he had in mind for me this night that he actually took care of me and made sure I wasn't marked. "Now Isabella, I want you to take my cock in your mouth and service me. Don't lose the pearls I wanna feel them on my cock."_

_Fuck, I didn't know how to manage sucking him without losing those damned things, till now I kept them under my tongue, but he made it clear he wanted to feel them. He climbed on the table and straddled my chest, his weight making it hard for me to breath. I tried to open my mouth without taking the pearls from under my tongue until he thrust his cock into my mouth. He lifted my head a little to control my movements. Trying to stroke his cock with my tongue while keeping the pearls from falling out was a difficult balance act. Each thrust was more forceful than the one before. He was trying to make me lose the pearls. His hands were fisting my hair hard and I was begging for his release to come soon. Suddenly he stopped._

"_Well, I am impressed Isabella. Let's see, if you can do it while hanging upside down." He went to a handle in the walls and started turning it, until only my shoulders were touching the table. He moved the table swiftly from beneath me and I was hanging upside down from the ceiling; the ice packs fell from my body to the floor. I couldn't imagine how to handle sucking and keeping the pearls at the same time this way. "Open." he ordered and the torture went on. Whenever he hit the back of my throat I feared I would swallow these little things. I gagged and struggled, but James didn't care, he only grew fiercer. Whoever said it is easy to relax the throat to take in the full length of a man was a fucking asshole and I am not even mentioning the part about swallowing cum. It was disgusting. Sure I have given blowjobs before, although it was out of love. I felt when James was on the edge of his release; his cock was choking me and the pearls were alongside with it. I didn't know how to swallow his cum without swallowing the pearls. Was he going to punish me for it?_

"_Swallow it all, bitch. If you swallow the pearls....don't worry they will come out again...eventually." he answered my unspoken question._

_....._

"Isabella, stop dreaming you fucking bitch. We've arrived. Get out now." James's voice ended my horrible memory abruptly.

I climbed out of the limousine and stood the exact way James wanted me to. No more mistakes tonight. I followed them in and I knew he was going directly to Alice and Jasper. I didn't need to look up. I wasn't allowed to look up. I never saw Alice's home to describe it. All I could describe was the floor, because that's what I usually saw. I heard Alice's voice and I was so relieved. Although Alice could never help me in any way, being with her was so calming. She was always so kind to me.

I met Alice in my first week as a submissive. It was the hardest time in my life and everyone around me was so cruel to me, except her and Jasper. She came to me after I had my first public scene. She gave me water and patted my shoulder without saying anything, that's when I fell in love with her. It goes unsaid, that her kindness brought upon me another round of pain after we went home, but at the moment I was thankful for her silent company and consolation. I told Alice afterwards, when I met her again, that her approaching me eggs James on and she learned fast, that's why she asked James for permission to greet me. James took the chance to chastise me for my demeanor and when I looked up, like he ordered me to; I saw a pair of wonderful emerald green eyes looking back at me. They looked confused, but I turned my gaze to Alice immediately.

If James caught me looking this guy up he would not only cause me pain tonight he would also initiate a rape scene. I hated rape scenes. For me they were never really pretended **I truly felt** like I was being raped, when he played this scene.

Alice hugged me and stood with her back to James. "Bella, honey, how are you?"

"I am fine thank you, Alice. Thank you for inviting my Master to your party." Alice grimaced, when I thanked her for inviting James. I stifled a smile. She patted my shoulder just like the first time we met and I cringed a bit. My shoulder was in bad condition since Victoria's scene with me two days ago. Alice noticed there was something wrong and raised an eyebrow at me. I couldn't answer her here and she knew it.

"I am happy _your Master _brought you with him, Bella."

"Me too Alice. I missed you a lot." I was trying to concentrate on Alice and ignore the feeling that I was being watched. When I looked up at Alice I saw Jasper from the corner of my eye nudging Mr. Gorgeous-Eyes. It appeared as if he didn't like it because he shouted _What? _at him.

I heard Jasper introducing him as his soon to be brother in law and best friend to James. _Of course he is Alice's brother, the resemblance was unmistakable, Bella. He had to be Edward, because Alice told you once Jasper and her brother Edward are best friends._

I knew immediately Edward must have been looking at me, because otherwise Jasper wouldn't introduce anyone to James.

Jasper and James had a common past, which Jasper wanted to forget desperately. Besides, I overheard a talk between the two of them once, in which James wanted to be introduced to Edward Cullen and Jasper refused vehemently.

_Thank you, Jasper. _ I really didn't need more shit today than I already had on my plate.

"Bella would you like something to drink?" Alice made two major mistakes at this point: first she asked me, if I would like something to drink before she offered to James; and second she didn't ask for permission to offer me something to drink, before she did. I was reluctant. I was so thirsty I just couldn't say no, but saying yes would probably add to my punishment later.

_What the hell, Bella. You already are going to suffer tonight; you might as well do so without being thirsty._

"Yes, please, Alice." I answered her.

Jasper hurried to correct his fiancée's mistake and offered James and Victoria drinks. When Alice returned with my drink James berated me for accepting the drink. I knew this was going to happen and now I was unsure whether to take the drink or not. He felt the need to go on with his reprimand, though Alice tried to take the blame.

Jasper didn't like the way James talked to Alice and all but told him to go away. Mentioning the playroom made my heartbeat increase. _My Master, _the asshole that he is didn't let Jasper get away with dismissing him this way. Though I was happy he allowed me to stay with Alice, he called her a slave. Edward was about to say something when Jasper interrupted him with a simple correction of the term. Alice looked at me and rolled her eyes, it looked like she was anticipating something big to happen now and she was right.

As soon as the little group of James left all hell broke loose. Edward and Emmett didn't like Alice being called a slave and they wanted Jasper to break James jaw.

_Yay, Edward, I would have really loved to see that happen! Its nice Alice has so many people, who love her around her. I envy her a little. It's your decision, Bella, to do this on your own. Now go fix the mess which happened because of you. _

"Excuse me," I tried to interrupt in a low voice. "I don't mean to interfere, but Jasper was just trying to spare me any punishment later. Please don't be mad at him. He knows James and he knows that if he angered him he would be taking it out on me later."

Nothing on Earth could have prepared me for the sight of those beautiful eyes so angry. They weren't emerald green anymore. They looked like a wild ocean on a stormy day and all his rage was addressed at me.

"I bet you would love your little game anyway. I don't see why your choice of partner should insult my sister." he spat at me. I didn't know what to say. He had no idea and yet he was right to direct his anger to me. Alice was insulted because of me. I wasn't able to speak. _What would you say if you could speak, Bella? Tell him he is right? It's your fault you are in the situation you are in?_

I felt tears coming to my eyes. I swore to myself never to show weakness to anyone three month ago. I wasn't going to change it now in front of Mr. Gorgeous-Eyes. I ran to the only place I could see through my haze of tears, an abandoned staircase. I didn't know where I was running but I finally found an unlocked door. I think it was a guest bedroom, because there were no personal belongings of Alice's anywhere to be seen. I stormed to the bed, which stood in the middle of the room and hid my head under the pillow. Knowing Alice would come in any minute. I wished she could give me a few minutes to compose myself. I knew if she came up in this moment I would never stop crying before my playroom punishment started.

_Bella, you have to stop it right now! Go to the bathroom, wash your face before Alice finds you. You can do this, Bella! _I tried to encourage myself. I looked around and found a door, which probably would be the bathroom. I heard Alice entering the room as soon as I finished washing my face.

"Bella?" she called me. "Honey, I am so sorry. Edward can be such an asshole sometimes. Don't worry, I promise I will take care of him later."

"Alice, it's alright. He is not wrong you know. I am so sorry James insulted you because of me. You shouldn't have invited us."

"Don't talk rubbish, Bella. I only invited James so I could see you." The look on her face was so sincere. "Oh Bells, why don't you just leave the scene like me? Why do you even love that bastard?"

I was shocked for several reasons. Alice called me 'Bells' like my dad used to before my mom died, she didn't know why I couldn't leave James and worst of all she actually thought I was with James because I loved him.

"Alice, I thought you knew my whole story!?"

EPOV

"Jazz, I fucking promise whatever you want, just start talking!" I was beyond furious. The night couldn't get worse. I knew I shouldn't have come here tonight.

"Emmett?" Jasper looked at Emmett like he needed confirmation from him, too.

"Jasper, I hope for your sake the story is good, 'cause right now I feel like crushing your bones for all this shit. Yeah, I promise I won't tell anyone or run out to smash this James guy. NOW TALK."

Emmett was on the same page as me. We both had enough of this fucking party.

"OK, the reason I didn't break James jaw for insulting Alice was only partly because of what Bella told you. By the way Edward you really need to apologize to her, she was only trying to help." He shot me a stern glare and I nodded guiltily. I was going to apologize to her anyway, but that was not why we were here at the moment.

"James is the kind of man you don't mess with. He's dangerous and he is entangled in a lot of dirty business. Believe me when I say he doesn't even need to get his hands dirty, he would still get what he wants without doing so. I am not afraid of him, if that's what you two think, but I will not start a fight with him over Alice. It would only fuel his rage to come after _her_. God knows it wouldn't be the first time he took revenge in that manner. It's like with...." he trailed off, as if he remembered this was something he shouldn't be talking about. I wanted to ask him, what he meant, but he continued talking fast. "Edward I can't look after Alice 24/7, but I can make sure she doesn't get in trouble in the first place. If you think I'll let him insult Alice and I'll just forget about it, then you are wrong. I thought you knew me better than that."

Emmett and I had a mirrored baffled look on our faces.

"Did you just say he would go after Alice? Why do you fucking invite such people to your home? Why do you even know such people?" Emmett growled at Jasper.

"He didn't, Em. Alice invited him, remember? Jazz was surprised when they came in." I calmed Emmett. "So that was why you were so angry with Alice." It wasn't a question. "Still Jazz, I would also like to know why you know people like James."

Jasper looked very uncomfortable. My best friend never looked embarrassed. In all the years I knew Jasper, he was never embarrassed of anything. He didn't even look embarrassed when he told me about how he lost his virginity while wearing a clown's costume- Jasper was doing his mother's friend a favor, performing as a clown and when the little boy's birthday party was over the woman couldn't even wait for Jasper to change his clothes before she devoured him.

Now he looked embarrassed. I put my hands on his shoulder to encourage him to talk. He knew he can talk to me about anything. I thought I knew everything there is to know about him.

"What is it, Jazz? You know you can tell us anything." My anger vanished suddenly. I was furious with him, yes, but he was still my best friend and I cared for him. There was clearly something going on within him and he needed to know he can tell me anything.

Jasper didn't look me in the eyes when he started talking again.

"I know James, because he was my partner a few years ago."

_What? Partner? What kind of partner? Business partner? Jasper never told me he had partners in his business. Jasper owned an Import-Export company. He has share holders, but no partners. _

"Jazz? I don't understand. Did you have a cash flow problem? Why didn't you come to me then? Wait a minute.....a few years ago?" A few years ago Jaspers business was flourishing.

"Edward I never had any cash problems. Can you remember Maria, my former collared sub? James gave her to me. She was a present after we became partners in his club. James is a Dom like you already know. We met at a playparty, similar to mine tonight. We kept talking and he mentioned he was looking for a business partner to open a new club. You know it had always been my dream to run a club. I agreed to meet him outside the scene and take a look at the club. It was a fantastic place. We became partners. He gifted me Maria and when I say gifted, Edward, I mean as in gave her to me like he fucking owned her. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. After only one month I started to discover what was really going on there. The club had a big storage room. We ran out of tequila this one day and I went down to the storage room myself, because a barmaid called in sick and the bartender was struggling. I found the DVDs down there. BDSM Videos to be precise. Illegal BDSM porn. I don't know how I discovered they are illegal; I just knew they were. I took a DVD with me home and I was confirmed in my suspicions. I confronted James the next night and he didn't even deny it. He told me we are partners and if he was going down then so am I." Jasper shook his head, caught up in his memory.

"Why didn't you tell me about this club, Jazz?" I asked to say anything.

"Edward you were abroad with your parents, visiting Alice in Paris. When you came back I already knew what was going on there. I didn't want you to be part of it or get into trouble because of me."

"So you got yourself into trouble?" Emmett stated.

"I did worse, Em. I agreed to stay James partner and I tolerated what was going on in the club. I worked my hours at the club and spent most of the time at my company. I still loved the club and my life was not really affected by what was going on behind the scene.s" Jasper was not defending himself. He was telling a fact. He stayed though he knew about James' illegal activities.

"You said you were partners, Jazz. What happened?" Jasper was okay with what was going on there, so there must have been another reason he left the club. "Did you leave, because of Alice?"

"I hate to admit it, Edward, but no. I didn't leave because of Alice. I ended my partnership with James only two years ago. Soon after Bella started dating James."

Her name made me forget for a moment how pissed I was that my best friend has been involved in illegal business while he was dating my sister.

"So Bella has been dating James for two years now?" That was not what I wanted to ask him, but for some reason this was the first question I asked.

"No! She dated him back then, but their breakup was spectacular. It was a huge scene at the club. She brought a friend with her to make sure James wouldn't hurt her when she broke up with him. Do you really want to talk about Bella now?" Jasper looked confused. He didn't expect this to be my first concern. _Fuck! It wasn't my concern at all. Why do I want to know?_

"Jasper, I should seriously fuck your shit up so bad you'll need a week to recover! What the fuck were you thinking? All these years and you didn't tell me any of this? You are about to marry my sister and now you're telling me you've been hiding your criminal past all these years." I ran my hand through my hair and tried to calm down. Emmett was uncharacteristically silent. I expected him to attack Jasper as soon as he finished telling us his secret, but he didn't say or do anything. He was actually looking at _me._ This was the most fucked up day in my life. Everyone around me was acting weird…out of their norm.

"When you're done staring at me like I'm a new freaking toy Emmett, could you please contribute to this conversation?!" I was pissed. I reached my limit tonight and I still didn't get any chance to dish out some punches. That was more than my self control ever had to bear.

"What do you want me to say, Edward?" Emmett was so calm I started thinking that maybe I should kick his ass just to get any kind of satisfaction on this bizarre evening. "Listen, Edward, we've all had our share of shit. You more so than others, don't play saint." My little brother was chastising me now?? I needed a drink.

I never meant to judge Jasper, but he was my best friend, who was about to marry my sister and I had no idea that he was playing gangster only a few years ago.

"I am not going to say what I did was right, Edward, it obviously wasn't. I realized James would never stop expanding his illegal activities and I desperately wanted a safe life for Alice. I did what I thought was right and managed to get out of this business as unscarred as possible. I lost a lot of money and yet James still shows up in my life, just to remind me of my past. I don't work with him anymore. I avoid him however I can. Being in the same scene wasn't quite helpful and I ran into him a few times. I was surprised to see Bella with him three month ago at a play party, where he was showing off his new 'toy'. You know how Alice is; she felt compassion for Bella and went to console her. There wasn't anything I could say or do to keep her away from Bella and I wasn't ready to tell her about James' true nature or my past. She kept dragging me to various play parties hoping to see Bella again. Our community is not a big one Edward and she got her wish. She became close friends with Bella and I tried my best to keep James away from Alice. I succeeded so far and you were about to blow it all tonight." Jasper was no longer feeling as if he owed me and Emmett an apology. He actually accused me of nearly causing a disaster. Pacing in the room like a caged lion he went on explaining how wrong my reaction would have been, but I was actually not listening anymore. I was again caught up in what he just told me about Bella. I guess that was the reason why I asked my next question.

"Why were you surprised to see Bella with him again?" It seemed as if I had interrupted Jasper in the middle of talking about something entirely different, because he paused in his pacing and looked at me in a very strange way.

"Huh?" was all he managed to say.

"You said you were surprised to see Bella with him again. Why?" I ignored my little brother, who was now looking at me in the same peculiar way Jasper was.

"Umm..I told you before; their breakup was a big scene at the club. Not only was Bella accompanied by a friend, James also tried to hinder them from leaving the club. This friend of hers, I think his name is Jake or something, had to fight his and Bella's way out of the club. The bouncers tried to hold Jake back while James was pulling Bella down to the basement. I don't know how this would have ended if I haven't been there. I had my men, too, you know. They helped Bella's friend and I calmed James down and reminded him that the club was full of customers, who could call the police. No one wanted a visit from the cops. Our basement was full of illegal stuff. The situation was like something out of the movies. I have never seen James so livid and I have to add James is never fun guy to be around even when he's in a good mood. So yes, seeing Bella with him three month ago was a big shock to me, especially seeing her at a scene. I never figured Bella for a submissive type of person, so my surprise was justified. I was also right about it." His last sentence caught my attention but before I could ask him anything he continued. "Since you are asking about Bella instead of beheading me, does it mean you're over everything that happened downstairs?"

His quizzical look was rather amused. He and Emmett shot a glance at each other and I didn't know what to make out of this exchange. _So what I was just curious. Why are they looking at me as if my question was the 8__th__ wonder of the world?_

"You did the right thing, Whitlock. Though, you should have told us about your problems a long time ago. You know we're a family jazz, since even before you decided to marry our sister. We would have helped you no matter how deep the shit was." Emmett was a real diplomat this night and I wondered for a brief moment if marriage didn't change him more than I gave him credit for.

"I am not quite as forgiving as bed-head over here is, Jazz, but I get the circumstances and understand. At least, I'm trying to understand. I'm glad you're leaving the scene for good and I know there won't be any chance for my sister to be insulted by James again. Let's forget about it." I was willing to forgive what happened down there, because I knew it was the last time Alice would be confronted with such things.

"Well, Edward I am happy you're saying that, but the matter is not completely over yet." Jasper said. _What the fuck? What now?_ I looked at him with a murderous glare. "Chill out man. I just mean you need to apologize to Bella. She is really a nice girl." He hurried to explain. "Appearances can deceive, Edward."

"Is it your hobby to annoy the crap out of me or can you only talk in riddles tonight?" I asked seriously interested. "What's that supposed to mean now? _Appearances can deceive" _I mocked him. "Are you a fucking fortune cookie? Can't you just tell me what her story is?"

"I'm sorry, Edward, Bella's story is not mine to tell. I can only tell you she really didn't deserve what you said to her down there." Jasper wasn't going to tell me any more. He looked as if he was going to leave to join the party again or maybe go look for Alice. "I have to go down again. Both, Alice and I left our party. I bet people are already looking for us. Edward, if you decide to find Bella to apologize to her, I would suggest you do so before midnight. James is waiting at midnight in the playroom and she wasn't kidding when she told you he would take any rage he's got out on her. If he sees you talking to her he won't blame you, which reminds me, don't ever stare at her again in his presence, the poor girl doesn't need any more trouble."

With this Jasper nodded to Emmett and they left me alone in the study.

* * *

**So what do you think? Give us a feedback..! Was the pain scene too much? Too little? **

**Teasers for all the reviewers!!!  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN/ It took forever to write this Chapter, because it simply dealt with a lot of details and includes once again a pain scene...We know..poor Bella. Keep in mind there is a reason why we are making her suffer now. **

**Some of you complaint about Edward being annoying. There is also a reason for his behavior. Be patient please and let the story unfold. Like I mentioned there are a lot of details to consider and we are not able to put them all in the first Chapters. Everything will be made clear at the right time. **

**To be honest it was also difficult to write it, because you people are not really telling us if you like the story or not (except very few of you, THANKS!). Make it easy for us and show us some love...it's always easier to write when you know people like what you are writing.**

**The credit for this Chapter goes to my co-writer Tropical Sorbet...she wrote a lot of it and encouraged me to write my part..I was so reluctant to write and hated everything I came up with..**

**This is a long Chapter again so we can give you as much details as possible to get the story to the awaited part: Edward and Bella together. Patience..we promise you A LOT of Bella and Edward in the future exactly like you want it. :-)**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ITS CHARACTERS...STEPHENIE MEYER DOES!  
**

**

* * *

  
**

Chapter 4

BPOV

_Bella, you have to stop crying right now! Go to the bathroom, wash your face before Alice finds you. You can do this, Bella! _I tried to encourage myself. I looked around and found a door, which probably would be the bathroom.

I looked into the mirror and splashed cool water on my face. I was attempting to wash away the reality of who I had become. I didn't even recognize the face staring back at me in that mirror. I was no longer Ms. Swan first grade teacher at Sleepy Hollow elementary school.

Oh how badly I wanted to erase the memory of that day out of my mind. The day my life changed so suddenly. It was the day my nightmare began. I hadn't seen him in almost two years. I had been very grateful for that. It was the last day of school. Summer break was just beginning and I had so many plans. Of course I did. I planned everything. Some might say I was a bit of a control freak. But I have always preferred to think of myself as well prepared.

If only I had been prepared for what came my way on that day…

_**He walked into my classroom and I froze. I felt my **__**heart drop instantly. **_

"_**School**__**'s out for summer Ms. Swan. Hmm...Whatever will you do with all of that free time?"**_

_**It was my worst fear in the flesh**__**... There he stood on the other side of my desk with a sinister smile. Breathe Bella breathe... You are in a public place .What could he possibly do to you here? He picked up the picture frame on my desk. It was a picture of me with my dad and my stepmother.**_

"_**They really should have better security around here Isabella. I mean I just walked right in off the street. Though we both know nothing really could **__**prevent me from getting what I'm after". He placed the picture frame down and looked directly at me with intensity. I hated when he called me Isabella and he knew it. **_

_**I looked straight**__** into his evil eyes. I was through with being afraid of him.**_

"_**And what exactly are you after James?"**_

"_**I was hoping you would ask me that question. As a matter of fact I am here to help you." But the wicked gleam in his eyes told me otherwise. **_

"_**You don't even know the meaning of that word. Why are you here?" **_

"_**Lovely picture this is. Your parents look so happy. What a shame it would be if that were to change." I immediately felt a blinding rage. **_

"_**You stay the hell away from my family!" I stood and slammed my fist down on my desk. I had the sudden urge to fling myself across my desk and beat the shit out of that asshole. Though I knew I wouldn't stand a chance. The man was nearly twice my size.**_

"_**My**__**, my Isabella, you are so violent. Really, it's so unbecoming."**_

_**I was still glaring at him and was just about to make my way around my desk to leave when he grabbed my arm and soft**__**ly said. "I know how much you love pictures and I have a few of my own that I'd like to share with you." I yanked my arm out from his clutches. **_

"_**I am not interested in anything you have to show me." **_

"_**You aren't? What a shame. Oh, but I can think of so many others that would be quite interested. New York's next Governor caught in a compromising position. As well as many other positions. It's quite newsworthy really. The man has a sick pregnant wife at home. Does it get any more interesting than that?" Now I knew he was delusional.**_

"_**What the hell are you talking about? My fat**__**her would never cheat on my stepmother. You need help James... serious help. This conversation is over right now! Unless you want me to call the police; I'd advise you to get the hell out of here." I was getting my cell phone out of my purse to show him I meant what I had said.**_

"_**Ah, denial. It is the first stage." He took a manila envelope out of his jacket and placed it in front of me on my desk. "There are many people I could **__**have given these photos to, who would be so much more… appreciative than you are. Really, Isabella, a little gratitude goes a long way."**_

_**I grabbed the envelope and opened it. Inside were about ten photos. They were of Charlie. He was in a hotel room. Nude**__**... There was a naked woman in bed with him. She had flaming red hair. The photos were quite graphic. I tried to not show my surprise. But, he knew it was there and he was god damn beaming at me like he just won the lottery. **_

"_**So you somehow photo shopped my father into your perverted pictures. Not very impressive." I dropped the pictures on the desk and pushed them towards him.**__** I was proud my voice didn't falter. **_

"_**As a matter of fact the photos are untouched… unlike your father. Perhaps I should release them to the press and let the public decide the matter. I had only wanted to help you save your precious father's good name…and with your stepmother being in such fragile condition right now**__**... The safety of your unborn sibling is so…unstable. But, if you are so uninterested in these things I suppose I am wasting my time here" He turned to walk away. I let out a deep breath. **_

"_**Wait, tell me what you want. I am not foolish enough to believe you are actually here to help my family avoid a scandal. Just spit it out James what do you want?**_

"_**Well to begin with I don't care for your tone of voice. You will show me respect at all times. Or there will be…consequences…severe consequences.**__** You are right though I am here to discuss how you can repay me for my silence. I would like to give you the opportunity to think of someone other than yourself for once. You really are a selfish little bitch, Isabella. You will sign a contract with me to be my submissive for a period of six months. I will own you as a possession for the full six months to do with you whatever pleases me. At the end of the contract I will relinquish the photos as well as the negatives to you. It's quite simple, really." The man is even crazier than I thought he was and that's saying a lot. I had found out about James being a Dom right before I broke up with him. I know very little about the lifestyle but, I would guess that James' practices his own twisted and dark version of it. He was after all violent with me when we used to date, though I was not his submissive at the time. He is not a man that follows rules very well. Though I do imagine he would get his thrills from enforcing them. I had no intention of finding out if I was right.**_

"_**You can't be serious. If you think I would be your submissiv**__**e for even one minute you are insane."**_

_**He once again picked up the family photo on my desk and it made my skin crawl. **_

"_**You are not willing to sacrifice six months of your life to save those you love from such pain and devastation…and people say that I'm cruel. Very well see you on the news. Enjoy your anonymity while it still exists." **_

_**Fuck**__**! He knows my weakness for my family and he's using it against me. **_

"_**If I were crazy enough to sign this insane contract how do I know you would give me the photos and negatives after the six months are over?" **_

_**He let out a monstrous laugh. "I am a man of my word Isabella. If you **__**honour your end of the contract then I will do the same." I didn't believe him for a second, but what choice did I have? It was so ridiculous there was just no way that my father would ever cheat on Sue. But, if Sue believed it to be true...I didn't even want to think about what that would do to my family. **_

"_**I will need some time to think this over." I was stalling. I didn't want him to release the photos. **_

"_**You**__** have until midnight tomorrow to make your decision. I am not a patient man so do not push me. You will come to my club tomorrow if you are willing to agree to my terms. If you are not there I will assume you refused my generous offer and the pictures will be released." He headed for the door but then stopped in the doorway and turned to face me. "I would advise you not to get your fury little friend Jake involved. If he ever gets in my way again it will be the last thing that he does." **_

I was abruptly brought back to reality when I heard Alice entering the guestroom. "Bella?" she called me. "Honey, I am so sorry. Edward can be such an asshole sometimes. Don't worry, I promise I will take care of him later."

"Alice, it's alright. He is not wrong you know. I am so sorry James insulted you because of me. You shouldn't have invited us."

"Don't talk rubbish, Bella. I only invited James so I could see you." The look on her face was so sincere. "Oh Bells, why don't you just leave the scene, like me? Why do you even love this bastard?"

I was shocked for several reasons. Alice called me 'Bells' like my dad used to before my mom died, she didn't know why I couldn't leave James and worst of all she actually thought I was with James because I loved him.

"Alice, I thought you knew my whole story!?"

EPOV

_What did I get myself__ into? _

I looked around and exhaled slowly. Jasper's study hasn't changed much since I first came here to see his newly purchased house. The house belonged to a Doctor and his family, before Jasper bought it, once he decided to spend his life with Alice. The study was furnished like you would imagine a Professor's office. A huge desk probably antique, in the middle of the study and the walls were decorated with bookshelves all around the room. It looked impressive and I knew it was my sister's work. She was like our mother. My mother has an eye for all that is beautiful. Alice on the other hand has an eye for all things peculiar. She was the complete opposite in that way. Ever since she was a little girl she would recognize and value the beauty in people or objects that others might consider strange. This train of thought lead me to think about her friendship with Bella. I know Alice must have detected something worthy of her strong friendship with Bella

I knew I was going to apologize to Bella no matter what. I was simply not sure how I felt about it. I wanted to apologize, but it wasn't only because I felt guilty for speaking out of line with her. I felt a strange feeling I couldn't decipher and that made me worry. She was alien to me, so why did I think so much about her or her story? I care only for my family and closest friends. I am not a monster, but that's just how I roll. I don't get attached to strangers or their problems. Why did I have this strange protective feeling about her? Was it because she was Alice's friend? _Yeah, I like that idea. I am only feeling attached because Alice seems to be so close to Bella._

I sighed again and decided to go look for Alice and her friend, before it was too late to excuse myself for my behaviour. I set two rules before leaving this study; first I decided I wasn't going to call her Bella, I mean we aren't friends, Isabella seems more appropriate for our level of affiliation…and I was going to make amends for my mistake, so I can finally put these thoughts away and forget this whole messy evening.

I walked out of Jasper's study and went to where I suspected the women to be. On the way there I saw Rose at the top of the stairs.

"Do you know where I can find Alice and her friend," I hoped Rose could tell me and spare me the search.

"Are you finally finished with your little drama?" She answered my question with another question.

"Yes, Rose. Emmett is already downstairs with Jasper. Now can you please tell me where I can find Alice?"

"What? Emmett is down there?" She ran down the staircase without responding to my question for the second time and I just had to laugh. It was unfathomable to me how Rose was able to run in her high heels so fast down those stairs; I knew she was worried about women flirting with her husband. I shook my head at her silliness and started looking for my sister. I knocked on two guestroom doors, but no one was in there.

I was about to knock on the third door, when I heard my sister almost screaming at Isabella.

"What are you saying Bella? How could you agree to such insanity? You should have confided in your father. He could have helped you with this. Agreeing to be a slave to James to save your father's reputation is incredibly honourable Bella, but James is abusing you. The way you are living is dangerous. He is not treating you as a sub, honey, he is enslaving you."

_WHAT?_ I wasn't sure I heard Alice right. A slave? I knew I shouldn't be listening in on Isabella and Alice, but I just couldn't help myself. My curiosity won over my good manners and I stood there listening to Isabella tell Alice her story that sounded more like a horror film to me.

"Alice, I told you, it's not only because of my father. Sue is pregnant though she has problems with her heart and she could miscarry under the pressure of this scandal or even worse... die. My dad's whole election campaign is not my first priority. Sue tried for five years to get pregnant, ever since she married my dad, though she knew the risks. Now she is finally pregnant and I won't endanger the pregnancy and her life if I can help it. It's all my fault. I dated James. I dumped him. I just never thought he would be so vindictive because of it. I probably should have known because, honestly Alice, he was so possessive in general and abusive in bed. I didn't know then of his sick mind. Don't misunderstand me, I don't think a BDSM relationship is sick Alice, but what he was doing was never simply BDSM. He practically raped me the second time I slept with him. He told me he wanted to play a little with handcuffs and I agreed, but when he grew rougher with me and I asked him to stop he didn't. I **had to** break up with him. I was so afraid of him at that point so I took my best friend, Jake, with me to the club when I finally had the courage to tell James that I wanted him to stay the hell away from me. It was a disaster." It sounded as if Isabella was sobbing.

I clinched my fists and tried to control the rage I felt burning like fire in my chest. I might not know this girl, but I imagined how easily this could have happened to Alice, if she had been the unlucky one, and that thought did not help me calm down.

Alice was speaking again: "Bella, listen to me, I am the last person to tell you to turn your back on your family. I am a family person myself, but do you really think it's wise to endanger yourself for the sake of your stepmother? Do you think she would want you to go through all this to save the baby? Even your dad would give up his political career if he knew what you are doing to keep his name out of the news. Besides, it was his mistake don't you think he is old enough to take responsibility for his actions?"

Isabella was pleading with Alice to comprehend her situation. "Sue is not only my stepmom, Alice. After my mom died she was all I had. She stood by my side; she helped me to heal. I can't lose her, too. I brought James into our lives and I am determined to take care of the mess I caused."

"What mess, Bella? Do you think you are the only woman on earth who made a wrong choice regarding a man? Talk to someone, please, or let me try and help you. Jasper and I we could help you..." Alice didn't get to finish her sentence, because Isabella was now screaming at her.

"No!! Promise me, Alice. Promise me you won't get involved. James is dangerous. Look at what he did to me just because I broke up with him. Imagine what he would do to you or Jasper if you try to interfere in his business."

"Calm down. I promise I won't do anything, Bella, but you are not his business you are just a woman he is furious at because you broke up with him. How do you think this will end?"

"I signed a contract. I agreed to be his submissive for six months. He promised not to hurt Jake or harm my family in any way if I do as he asks. He said he will give me the pictures and the negatives if I do whatever he wants."

"You believe him?" Alice scoffed. "Do you really think he will honour his promise? What's Jake got to do with all this? Bella, did you submit a checklist of your hard and soft limits with this contract?" Alice asked so many questions at the same time and I was happy she did, because I wanted to know all details myself.

"Jacob Black is my childhood friend who came with me to the club when I broke up with James. My dad and his Dad, Billy, work together. As you know James is not one to forgive and forget. Harming Jake was one of the threats that James made to me since he realized how close we are. That was my mistake, again, for allowing him to know the people I care about. I know there is a good chance he doesn't intend to honour his promise. However, Jake does know where I am and after he finally realized that he couldn't talk me out of signing the contract he offered to try his best to get dirt on James so I will have some leverage. Jake is a private investigator. He's very good at what he does" she answered.

"Are you listening to yourself?" My sister was exasperated now. "What did Jake achieve in the past three months? Nothing, obviously. You signed a contract saying you are willing to do whatever James asks of you for six months. Bella, you forget I saw your first public scene. I have been a Submissive for almost three years and never did Jasper do anything like James did to you on that night. This man doesn't care for your safety. Do you think it would bother him if he really hurt you during one of his risky games? Why do you think Jasper reminded him of not playing hard in our house? We've heard of James and we've seen him with other subs before. He is cruel and he doesn't care about anything but his own pleasure. That's not the idea of a BDSM relationship. Never in three years has Jasper hurt me not even during a chastisement. What would you do if he actually allowed others to have their way with you, too?"

"I'm not sure if Jake discovered anything yet or not. It's not safe for me to try and contact him. I can only hope he will have something once my time with James ends." It sounded like Isabella was willing herself to believe what she said. "Oh and uh...actually, Alice, James does rent me out to friends of his. I heard that's normal. Some Dominants do allow friends to play with their submissives. It's not very unusual. Listen, I know James is doing all of this to humiliate me, because for some intangible reason he felt I humiliated him by breaking up with him. He requires that anyone interested in 'renting' me do a play scene with me in front of him, to prove they won't pamper me once we are alone. It's like an audition. It's just another way for him to show me how worthless he thinks I am...." Isabella trailed off or maybe she started whispering. I couldn't hear anything for a moment.

Suddenly I heard Alice again. I knew this tone of my sister; she was beyond rabid. "He lends you out? Like a fucking car? People are allowed to have a test drive before they take you home? Only in your case the test drive is to show your owner that they won't treat you too good? Are you suicidal?"

I had to press my ear to the door now to hear Isabella's response.

"It's happened only twice, Alice. It's not as bad as it sounds. Being away from James is sometimes a real good thing. It's better than enduring Victoria's games with me.

"I never wanted to tell you all of this. I am not whining or complaining about my situation. I shouldn't have told you anything. You don't understand my motives. I simply wanted you to know I am not in love with James and I surly never chose to be his submissive. I have only three months left to live through this and by then Sue will deliver my baby brother or sister. Jake will know more about James' illegal affairs. He really **is** very good at what he does. James will give me the pictures of my dad and I will put this whole experience behind me...." It sounded to me as if Isabella was trying to convince herself and not my sister anymore.

"You are so stubborn. Why don't you realize it won't help you or your family, if you get hurt? Bella, I don't think after tonight we will be able to see each other. I won't be going to play parties anymore. I am here tonight and I can still help you, if you'll let me. Jake can't come near you or James but James wouldn't know about me and Jasper helping you. We would be able to get real information about him. We are in the scene; even when we leave we have contacts. Do you really want to go down there tonight and go through another public scene? No one down there will help you when you start screaming. Everyone will think it's your choice. They will assume you will use your safe words to end it if it gets too much for you."

Isabella was saying something, but her voice was so low, despite all my efforts I couldn't make out what it was.

"WHAT??? HE DIDN'T GIVE YOU ANY SAFETY WORDS? YOU ARE MAD! NO ONE PLAYS WITHOUT A SAFETY WORD!" Alice's sudden outburst startled me.

_Damn it__, it was even worse than I thought possible. What do I do now? Turn around as if I never found out about any of this, or follow my insane urge to help this girl? _

**BPOV**

I had poured my heart out to Alice. I have not known her very long but from the instant we met I've felt a strong connection to that petite dynamo. As if we were long lost sisters.

I could never lie to Alice. I wanted her to know that I had a plan. I am not a reckless person. When I told Alice that I didn't have a safe word with James I swore I heard the windows rattle from the shrill in her voice. When it comes to being with James safety is never really a viable option. I knew he would never kill me. It's just not his style. He enjoyed torturing his conquests. He wants you to beg for death just so he can laugh in your face. I would have never given him that satisfaction. That much I knew and so did he. I think that was what he found so alluring about me. It's a challenge to him to break me. It's sick I know. I was halfway through my prison term and if Jake came through for me it would end even sooner. But, I couldn't count on anyone rescuing me. I was not a damsel in distress. I made my bed now I was lying in it. Well, more like being chained to it but you get the point. It was close to midnight and I had to go down to the playroom for a pain scene with Mr. Sunshine himself. Alice's eyes had suddenly lost their beautiful sparkle and were teary and dark. _Oh great I've managed to depress the happiest person I have ever known with my tale of woe. _

I needed to somehow convince her not to worry about me. "Alice, please don't look at me like that. I'm fine. Really. Before you know it I'll be free as a bird and this will all just be a blimp on the radar of my long life." I attempted a small smile but even I could feel that it didn't quite reach my eyes.

Luckily she played along "Bella, I know you will have many happy days ahead of you, but please promise me you will at least think about telling James you want to establish a safe word."

Again, I didn't want to lie to the girl but I mean come on... _Does she know who we're talking about here?_ "It's almost midnight Alice, I have to go downstairs. Whatever he does to me down there is more than worth it since I got the chance to spend some time with you."

Alice gave me a small smile and a big hug. I haven't felt affection in far too long. It was nice. She opened the door for us to go and as she stepped out into the hall I heard her say "Edward, what are you doing up here?"

It was her brother. Oh, what he must think of me…showing up to this party with a psychopath like James and putting his sister in the direct line of fire. He's was probably up here to protect his little sister. Who could blame him for that?

I heard Edward walking towards Alice "I was hoping I could talk with Isabella for a minute?"

_Isabella?_ _He heard James calling me that and thinks I enjoy that, too._

_He must be up here to threaten me to stay the hell away from his family._ _Alright… let's get to it. I certainly deserve it. _He was standing next to Alice with a very serious look on his face.

"It's ok Alice I still have a few minutes."

Alice lovingly squeezed my hand and slowly walked away. "Don't you dare upset her again!" she hissed at her brother.

Edward stretched out his arm as if to gesture me back into the guestroom. Once inside he closed the door and turned to face me. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for the way I acted before" he ran his long fingers through his already ruffled bronze hair. _Why was he apologizing to me? Jasper must have put him up to it. _

"No apology is needed." It was crazy. I mean come on we both knew I was to blame for the whole thing. I wasn't going to pretend I wasn't.

"Oh, but I feel there is a need for me to apologize to you. I judged you and your lifestyle and I had no right to." Edward looked directly into my eyes through his long black eyelashes. _Damn him and those gorgeous green eyes of his_. They paralyzed me on the spot.

_Snap out of it Bella! Don't let him get to you… Pull yourself together. Uh...Is he still talking? Crap! What is he saying?_ I just smiled as I pulled myself together. I'm sure I looked completely moronic at that point.

"Isabella? Are you ok?" he looked concerned.

"Yes, uh…I'm sorry. I'm just feeling a bit off today." It was the truth. I was feeling way more than a _bit_ off for quite some time now.

"Oh, is there anything I can do to help?" There was a hopeful look on his face.

But in addition to that I spotted something else on Mr. Perfect's face. It was pity. He pitied me. For some reason this really got to me. Out of all the hideous unspeakable things I have endured over the last several months, it felt like this ridiculous question and the look on his face was the absolute most painful part of it all. He was offering me false hope. Well, I wasn't going to fall for it. No one could help me. Certainly not him. I knew that for a fact. Let's be real. He was Mr. Perfect. He didn't have a care in the world or a problem to be found on his plate, I bet. He could have anything he wanted just by looking at someone with those deadly eyes of his. I'm sure he's never even had a bad day in his whole life. He's probably never heard the word no before. Not that it makes him a bad person or anything. It's just so far from anything I can comprehend. I mean we have absolutely nothing in common. How could he even begin to understand what a day in the life of Bella Swan was like? And why on earth would someone like him even want to? First off he would stop pitying me… immediately. I wanted him to stop looking at me like I was a charity case. I unlocked our eyes attempting to break the spell he had me under.

"Do I need help? No definitely not... I don't need any help at all. It's just that I am just so excited to be here tonight to celebrate with Alice and I sometimes feel a little…uh...off when I am so happy" I was desperately trying to sound like a happy person should sound. _Good lord Bella has it been so long that you can't even remember how to sound happy._ Mr. Gorgeous Eyes was sitting on the bed now and he was looking up at me.

"It appears my sister feels the same way about you" he said with a breathtaking smile.

I suddenly felt a blush spread across my face. _Is it hot in here or is it just me? Oh, that's just wonderful Bella you're blushing over him. What are you ten?_ "Alice is a dear friend"

I managed to whisper. I didn't look up.

"So you are happy Isabella?" It wasn't an observation. It was a question. His head was slightly tilted with a curious look on his face.

"Uh... Yes I'm very happy. Especially tonight. I just told you that." _What the hell, is he not listening to me at all? Good lord this man is thick._ I was still attempting to look glowingly happy. But, apparently by the look on Edward's face I wasn't very convincing.

"It's just that you don't seem like the type of girl that would be mixed up with a guy like James. I find it hard to believe that he could actually make someone like you very happy." He folded his arms and he had a smug look on his face.

"Excuse me?" I was glaring into those eyes of his. He shifted his long body on the bed and sat up straighter.

"I'm not trying to upset you, but I do know when I am being lied to. Why can't you just tell me the truth? " his voice was firm.

_He can't be serious._ I walked closer to the bed "I don't have to tell you anything. I don't even know you." I made sure to pronounce each word slowly to get my point across. _I mean the nerve of this man is incredible._ Who did he think he was? I felt my face turning red but for an entirely different reason than before.

He stood up and his piercing green eyes looked directly down into my raging brown eyes.

"I ...uh…can see how much you mean to my sister... and if you're unhappy then she will be as well." he stammered the words out. Almost as if he was making them up as he went along. I was speechless. _What do you say to something like that?_ He was right of course. Alice had lost her sparkle tonight because of me but, she would eventually forget all about me and my crazy problems. When I looked up at Edward there it was again the look of pity staring back at me through those unbelievable eyes. Taunting me… making me feel like such a loser. I suddenly lost all control of my emotions.

"First of all Mr. Cullen, you haven't a clue as to what type of girl I am. James may not be a flowers and rainbows type of guy but I will now go and accept the physical pain he will give me over the mental pain you so carelessly toss my way. " I could practically taste the venom on my tongue. I quickly spun on my heels and headed for the door.

As I reached for the door knob he spoke again "Well, since you did choose this lifestyle, I am sure you will enjoy whatever type of pain James has to offer you_, Isabella_" I quickly glanced at Edward over my shoulder and noticed he looked just as furious as I felt. _Hmm... Looks like we do have something in common after all._

What was **his** problem? **He** was the one trying to turn **me** into a charity case.

Quickly I made my way downstairs to face Mr. Sunshine. I was of course still seething from my conversation with Edward, but I had to push that anger beneath the surface. I needed to have a clear head for what I was about to endure. Before my feet had even hit the last stair Victoria appeared directly in front of me.

"It's playtime" she said with a wicked grin on her face. Her eyes had a dark predatory look in them. Holding up a piece of kinky lingerie that would make a porn star blush she commanded "Put this on and go directly to the play room." She pointed me to the nearest bathroom and slithered away.

If I wanted to look at the bright side I suppose I could be grateful that I wasn't expected to be nude. But, then I looked down at the outfit my darling Master had ordered me to wear. It was a fetish costume. Made of tire inner tubes. Yes, I said inner tubes.

You know the rubber tires you find on your car? Well apparently the inner tube is all the rage in fetish wear. Who knew, right? Well I knew… because I have seen Victoria's closet and let's just say it's not filled with clothing from the Gap. The fetish costume I held in my hands consisted of pieces of rubber cut into intricate designs. The centerpiece of the bikini top was a large metal star adorned with a circle of sharp silver spikes. As I changed into the bikini of doom I attempted to mentally prepare myself for what lay ahead. James would be in his glory. He lived for moments like this. It would be his twisted version of a child at Disneyland. An opportunity to degrade and cause me any form of pain or discomfort in front of an audience was just about as good as it got for that man. I would try my absolute best not to provoke him. I must admit that at times I could be my own worst enemy. But, tonight I really just wanted to get this over with as quickly and dare I say as painlessly as possible. I really didn't want to cause Alice another second of heartache at her party. _Jasper please keep Alice from being in the play room to watch this scene._ I let out a deep sigh and took a quick look in the mirror. The first thing I noticed was the ten distinct purple welts sprawled across my chest from that evil prick. _You're halfway there Bella… you can do this._

My skin was still flushed all over my body. I'm sure that was from my delightful conversation with that maddening Edward Cullen. _Thanks Edward now I look more like the tomato of doom. _ I thought to myself as I opened the bathroom door and headed off to the play room. _What a fun little name for a room that will most likely be the setting for my future nightmares._ As I entered the playroom I kept my head down and my eyes cast on the floor. I knew this was expected of me and to be honest I really didn't want to know who was in the room to watch the scene. I walked directly up to James' feet and dropped to my knees with my head bowed down. I immediately felt my defense mechanism begin to kick in. Detachment… It has saved me on many occasions. No it's not a happy place or anything like that. Happy places won't quite cut it while trying to survive the clutches of a lunatic like James. Nothing but extreme detachment from all that exists around you will do.

"Isabella, I am curious to know what caused you to keep your Master waiting. Won't you please tell me? You may respond." The chattering of small talk in the room abruptly ceased to exist. Utter silence taking its place.

"I apologize, Master. I didn't realize I was required to change into this costume." H_ow could I forget to allow extra time to squeeze myself into a rubber studded fetish costume? What was I thinking? _

"Your apology is of no use to me. You have displeased me. I had been in such a pleasant mood this evening. Pity for you that is no longer the case." I heard footsteps enter the room from behind me.

"James honey, I hope I haven't missed out on any of the fun?" _Oh wonderful the gang's all here. What fun would this pain scene be without Victoria here to cheer James on? She's like the deranged cheerleader for team pain._

"Of course not darling, you know what a thoughtful and generous man I am. I intend to make sure you and Isabella get some play time together." All I could see were his black boots. Sadly I knew them well…Far too well.

"As a matter of fact our little toy and I have some unfinished business to attend to. She seems to be having some trouble remembering my name. It's so disrespectful. After all I've done for her... It's hurtful." Her words dripped sarcasm. "Get on your hands and knees you god damn slut and crawl over to your Mistress." I did as I was told and crawled across the hard wood floor towards Victoria's red stiletto boots.

"Kiss my boots tramp" she spat out. Her boots were cold and hard just like her heart. I kissed them like she had demanded, but in my mind I was spitting on them instead. "Now tell me Isabella who is your Mistress? You may respond."

I heard myself faintly say "You are Mistress Victoria" she grabbed me by my pony tail and roughly pulled my head up to look into her beady little eyes.

"Speak up bitch." She smelled like a mixture of booze and cheap perfume.

"You are, Mistress Victoria." I spoke in a louder and more pained voice since she still had a tight grip on my pony tail.

"Before this night is over you won't forget that ever again." she let go of my hair and I fell to the floor. "Get out of my sight… you disgust me." I crawled my way back over to those familiar black boots of his.

"I have a little surprise for you tonight Isabella. I have correctly assumed that Jasper's pansy ass playroom wouldn't be equipped properly. Therefore, I brought my own supplies. So we're going to show all these people what a real play scene is all about. On your feet, sub."

I stood up leaving my head down… eyes cast on the floor. James forcefully grabbed my wrists and spun me around so he would be behind me. He was literally breathing down my throat.

"Look at your audience Isabella. Don't be rude."

I looked up and noticed that there were about eight people in the room. I hardly recognized any of the faces. Jasper had been smart enough to keep Alice away. I was grateful for that. My eyes looked over to the doorway. _He_ was standing in the center of the doorframe his head was down but his eyes were raised up and focused directly on me…and they were dark. Edward was watching my pain scene.

"You are not to make a sound without my permission. Do I make myself clear? You may respond?"

"Yes, Master."

Oh yes, I was right. James was in his glory. He looked like a demented maestro conducting his favorite symphony. He began tying me up using a thick red rope. He was making a bondage web. I had seen this done in a few of the BSDM videos that he constantly watched at his house. His hands felt rough and gritty and he began to actually whistle as he worked.

I recognized the tune it was _Spider Web by No Doubt…Sick bastard. _He was pulling and wrapping the ropes all over my body. Finally creating what looked like an actual spider web that encased my body completely restricting me from moving my legs. My arms were raised above my head… my wrists bound together. Very tightly I might add. James dragged me over to the center of the room and lifted me up and hooked the rope to a chain on the ceiling. I was suspended from the ceiling dangling in the air by my wrists. The intense pain from this act alone nearly caused me to scream out loud. I bit the side of my mouth and tried to hold the tears back. He will not break me was the mantra I was chanting in my head. My detachment mechanism was no longer cutting it.

"Vicky, come play with Isabella" he walked to the corner of the room where he was keeping his supplies and grabbed something out of the large suitcase. W_hat is that? I can't see._

"Honey, can you get me the cane please" she was grinning from ear to ear. _These two really belong together. A match made in hell._

"Here you are darling. Please knock yourself out." He handed her a long thin wooden cane.

"This unworthy sub is going to be the one knocked out by the time I'm finished with her. How dare she disrespect me and think she'd get away with it." Victoria was circling around me and lightly tapping the cane on the palm of her hand for effect. _She does do wicked well I'll give her that_. "You will receive ten strokes of this cane and you will count it out. Do you understand me? Respond."

"Yes, Mistress Victoria" _It's always such a big show with these two. Bitch, shut the hell up and get to it already._

I quickly glanced at the doorway and noticed that Jasper was standing there next to Edward. Edward looked to be in a heated discussion with Jasper and he was flailing his arms around and pointing my way. _He must be telling him about our argument upstairs. Jasper's probably defending me and Edward doesn't want to hear it. _

A searing pain knocked my eyes away from the doorway. "One" I grunted out. The cane came down hard across my back. Before I could catch my breath I saw her arm rise up above her head and I braced myself for the pain. "Two" this time my voice sounded more in control. It was the little bit of power I had left not to let them hear the pain in my voice.

"Did I hear a whimper? You really shouldn't disobey your Master's order." _What? I didn't make a sound you evil whore._

The third and fourth strokes were progressively harder. My back was practically numb and my voice was getting shakier with each stroke. Tears from the pain were threatening to spill over from my eyes. But, I wouldn't allow it. I just kept chanting my mantra. _You will not break me. You will not break me… _

After the fifth stroke I felt nauseous and dizzy. I was afraid I would throw up all over myself when I opened my mouth to speak. But somehow the word "Five" broke from my lips and floated through the air.

"Victoria, that's enough for now. I need some extra time with Isabella tonight. Darling, I promise to make it up to you very soon with a full night of fun with our pet." _This can't be good. He's so eager to get to me that he stopped Victoria midway through her caning punishment. What the fuck is this bastard up to?_ He was pacing back and forth and rubbing his hands together.

"I have a special treat for you tonight Isabella. I do hope for your sake that you will show me your gratitude." _Holy shit he has needles in his hand!_ "We are going to have some fun with needle play now my pet. This can be either very painful or very pleasurable for you. I am feeling very generous tonight. So I will allow you to cum for me Isabella."

Panic filled my very soul. I could feel my self gasping for air. My heartbeat was fluttering out of control. _Is this what a nervous breakdown feels like?_ I have a very intense needle phobia. The worst part of it all is that James knows this. While we were dating I had passed out one day from the sight of my own blood after my clumsy ass fell off my front porch. James went with me to the emergency room. They were trying to hook me up to an IV to make sure I wasn't dehydrated. I had a huge panic attack about the needle. I was hyperventilating. They almost had to sedate me just to hook me up to an IV. Over the last three months I had kind of thought that the fact that James had yet to use my deepest fear against me was at least one positive thing I could say about the man. I suppose he was just waiting for the right moment. The sick bastard was demanding I have an orgasm while he sticks me with hypodermic needles. There really is no limit to his cruelty_. I guess this is it…my breaking point. _

_He's done it. He won. He has finally broken me. I'll never make it through this. _My head went down in defeat and I saw something in his eyes flicker. He knew he had me. I felt the anxiety fill my veins like a drug. My body was now noticeably shaking and my mouth was so dry I could barely swallow.

He walked closer to me and put his lips right next to my ear "And you thought I didn't remember."

I started squirming in the ropes and the metal star with its spikes at the center of the bikini started to cut into my skin. My wrists started throbbing from the friction my movement was causing. I couldn't help myself I quietly whimpered from the pain.

"Isabella, this is exactly why you are unworthy of wearing my collar .You are such a whiny little bitch."

I dropped my head in defeat the panic was coming on in waves. I felt silence. It was eerie. Silence is not something you feel. But in this moment I did. That is the only word I can use to describe this feeling. It was almost peaceful really. The calm before the storm… And what a wicked storm it was.

I was just about to beg for mercy and give James what he's been craving all this time when I felt gushes of freezing cold water raining down on me. It was going up my nose and in my eyes and ears. I couldn't use my hands to cover my face. _What the hell is going on now? Some type of water torture?_

I heard someone yell "Fire!" and then I heard lots of movement. I couldn't see properly because the sting of the water hitting my eyes was causing me to reflexively close them. Finally, after what seemed like forever I felt someone lift my body off of the hook and lay me down gently on the floor. I could feel the ropes being carefully removed from my aching body.

"Your wrists are bleeding." I heard a velvet voice utter.

I opened my eyes and looked up to find very sad green eyes looking down at me. He was gently rubbing my wrists. It felt more like a caress. Edward wrapped his arms around me like a warm blanket. Instinctively I flinched and went to pull away.

"Shhh... Bella It's okay. Just please try and relax. You're shivering. I need to keep you warm."

The hellcat in me wanted to push him away and tell him that I was fine; but I couldn't.

I definitely was not even remotely close to being fine. I was a complete mess and to be honest Edward's warm hug was the most amazing feeling I had felt in a very long time. I heard myself sobbing. Gut wrenching, soul crushing cries came out of my mouth. The tears were running down my face and they burned like fire on my ice cold skin. I couldn't speak.

I couldn't move. Edward held me in his warm hug and let me cry it all out.

After awhile my voice had gotten hoarse and my eyes were almost out of tears. The water has stopped as well. I looked up into those sad green eyes of his and asked "Is Alice alright?"

"Yes, though she is very worried about you. I promised her I would take care of you. She's outside with the firemen." He was brushing the stray wet strands of hair away from my face.

"Oh, was there a fire?" I could still hear people talking in the other room so I was assuming not.

"No, it was a false alarm." He was rubbing my arms to keep me warm. My teeth were chattering and I'm sure my lips were most likely purple. "Bella, we need to get you into some warm clothes can I carry you up to Alice's room? I don't think you should be walking right now." His eyes were pleading with me and I realized it would be near impossible for me to ever say no to anything Edward asked me to do if he looked at me with those puppy dog eyes... There was so much worry on his face. I almost felt as though I should be comforting him.

"Uh... Warm clothes would be very nice. Are you sure you don't mind carrying me? I'm sure I could make it upstairs on my own." I attempted to sit up and immediately winced at the pain this movement caused.

"I insist. Please stay as still as you can. I promise I'll be as gentle as possible. Can you place your arms around my neck?"

It wasn't easy but I did it. Slowly he stood up with me cradled like a baby in his arms. I put my head into his chest and closed my eyes. His scent was intoxicating. He smelled of amber and fresh mint. It was incredibly soothing. I hardly noticed we were moving at all until I realized the sounds of people talking were getting louder.

"Edward, we need to talk" it was Jaspers voice.

"Not now." Was all he said and then we were climbing up the stairs. He very gently laid me down on the bed. "I'll be right back."

Coming down from the enormous rush of adrenaline I had experienced earlier, I now felt completely exhausted. I closed my eyes and instantly felt myself drifting off to sleep. When I woke up the first thing I noticed was that I was wearing fluffy white pajamas. The second thing I noticed was that my hair was still damp so I couldn't have been asleep very long. The third thing that caught my attention was Edward sitting in the chair beside the bed staring down at me intently. He looked angry. I wondered if his anger was directed at me.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep. Did...did you dress me? You should have woken me." I went to sit up but my battered body wasn't able to.

"You need rest. It was nice to see you so peaceful. You were only asleep for half an hour. Alice changed you into a pair of her pajamas. I hope you are a little more comfortable in them." He looked nervous about what he wanted to say next. He was pinching the bridge of his nose as if thinking of how to put his thoughts into words.

"Bella, I know I have absolutely no right to tell you what to do. I just feel like it would be insane for me not to ask you to please stay away from that psychopath. Whatever he has done to keep you in his clutches just can't be worth this."

_Ah yes reality... I still h__ave three months left with James. "_Edward, believe me if there was any way for me to get away from James without hurting my family or friends in the process I wouldn't hesitate to do it." I finally used my elbows and managed to push myself up. It hurt like a bitch but I did it.

"I just don't understand how you can even contemplate staying under the control of someone like that? Do you have a death wish? We all want to help you, but you have to let us..."

I was biting my lip as he spoke. I knew what he was saying was true. _I mean you would have to have a death wish to sign a contract with a madman like James. I just couldn't save myself and throw my family under the bus. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. So I suppose yes I would rather be dead… so in some ways I guess I do have a death wish._

"Edward, you have helped me… so much. I am so grateful that you took me off the hook and cared for me. I can see that you and your sister have much in common. But please don't ask of me the impossible. I'll be fine. James got carried away tonight. I'm not making excuses for him but it isn't always as bad as it was tonight. I will get through it. I am just sorry that you and your family now feel obligated to get involved in my mess. I'm serious when I tell you the last thing I want is to get anyone else caught up in this disaster. I could never live with myself if I were to involve _anyone_ in this insanity. James is a very dangerous man. Particularly to anyone that would attempt to help me in any way. I just can't be so selfish as to put someone else at such risk to save myself. It's just not the type of person I am. Please know that I am so thankful for your kindness tonight, but I won't allow you to interfere."

I was attempting to give him the same pleading look he had given me earlier but I doubted my eyes could ever be so powerful. There was a knock on the door and in popped Alice's head.

"Bells are you alright honey?" She was at my side in an instant. "Listen to me, after the sprinklers went on James and Victoria fled my house. They left you, Taylor and Eric behind. They are sending the car back to pick you up. Please consider not going back there. Stay here with us." Her eyes were filled with tears and she was gently holding both of my hands.

_James fled the house with Victoria? That's odd. I wonder why. __He does nothing without a reason. Maybe he was afraid the cops would show up…coward. Oh_ my, what_ these Cullen's are doing to me. Why won't they understand I have no choice but to go back there? _

Before I could even respond to Alice, Eric & Taylor walked in the room.

"Let's go. The car is outside." Taylor snapped at me.

"Don't fucking talk to her like that! Does it make you feel like a man to kick someone when they're already fucking down like your asshole leader does? " Edward's expression was deadly. His hands were balled into fists at his side. Those green eyes of his were on fire.

He looked like he was about to slug Taylor.

"Edward, it's okay. Please, can you help me get up?" I was surprised as to why Edward reacted this way and I really didn't want him to get into any trouble on my behalf.

Alice and Edward helped me to stand. After finally convincing Edward that I didn't need to be carried downstairs I walked out of the room. I knew I would need to get back on my feet since it was a sure bet that I wouldn't be pampered by James and Victoria.

_You might as well prepare yourself now Bella._

I was hugging Alice good-bye as she whispered so that only Edward and I could hear her

"I don't know what caused those crazy sprinklers to go off, but I'm sure glad they did. It got you away from that madman for a little while." And then the strangest thing happened; I could have sworn I saw Edward wink at me.

_Nah…He couldn't have…__ Could he?_

_

* * *

  
_

**Please review...even if you don't want a teaser. Tell us what you think!!!**_  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**AN/ Here we are again..we decided to update weekly and write longer Chapters. We hope you like it this way.**

**A few things I would like to say: I had a review telling me she is no longer going to read this story, because she is not willing to see us write a story just to torture Bella Chapter after Chapter. It was NEVER our intention to write a sadistic story...we merely tried to show you what kind of life Bella was living. **

**A very BIG Thank you to AbbeNormal and ****Ms. Marauder-****Cullen ****for their reviews! You know your review were the reason we continued writing, because seriously I was on the edge of giving up on this story after the devastating review I got.**

**You see reviews really help, so please review!! It makes it easier for us to write a story when we know what you think, suggest or feel!!**

**We have a new beta on board and I am very happy to welcome her..she did an amazing Job and worked over Chapters 1-4, too. We are not going to make major changes on the Chapters, so you don't need to reread them. HappyMess Thanks for working on Chapter 5 in less than a day so we can update today!!**

**As ever, PLEASE, let us know what you think!!!**

**Last but not least: Patience please we have about 2 Chapters left until we finally get to the great stuff!!!**

**For those of you who would like to know how the bikini Bella had to wear in Chapter 4 looks, you will find a link on the profile of my co-writer TropicalSorbet!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT OR ITS CHARACTERS: STEPHENIE MEYER DOES  
**

**

* * *

  
**

**Chapter 5**

**EPOV**

"Edward, are you listening to me? What's with you, man?" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Emmett's booming voice.

"Uh...Sorry, Em. What were you saying?" I had peeled the label off my beer bottle and was now shredding it into tiny pieces.

"Is everything alright with you?" There was a concerned look on his face.

"I've just been _a bit off_ lately. I'm fine." W_asn't that exactly what Bella said, when I asked her how she felt? A bit off?_

Ever since my sister's party I just couldn't get Bella or her crazy situation out of my head. It was five days later and she was still practically all I could think about. I kept analyzing things I could have possibly done to stop her from returning to that madman, but I really believed nothing short of kidnapping her would have worked. I felt sick to my fucking stomach as I watched James' henchmen drive off with Bella that night. Why couldn't she have just stayed at Alice's? She was just too stubborn for her own damn good. Why on earth was I so infatuated with Bella and her situation? It was so unlike me and to be honest it was freaking me the hell out. Why had she affected me so strongly. I mean I could understand why I wanted to help her that night, but she refused any further help from me. Normally I would have written it off as a horrible fucking night and would have moved on with my own life, but I couldn't and that baffled my mind. I kept trying to organize my thoughts or just forget about her and get back to my normal self. Nothing seemed to work.

I _wanted _to forget that whole night, the girl and my unexplainable attachment to her, but something always brought my mind back to those very sad brown eyes. I wanted to see those eyes happy.

I wanted to hear what her laughter would sound like. I just couldn't figure out a way to make that happen and it was driving me crazy. I knew I _had to_ stop obsessing like this. My body was filled with a blinding rage every time I thought of Bella being suspended from the ceiling and tortured by that asshole or humiliated by that fucking bitch Victoria.

I was haunted by the intense pain and panic that looked up at me through those chocolate brown eyes as I held her to keep her warm. The horrific sound of her crying out in agony and sorrow until she could no longer speak was seared into my mind. I kept reminding myself that Bella made it very clear that she did not want my help nor did she want me involved in her life in any way. She was a stranger to me. So then why did I spend so much of my day wondering if she was okay?

_Of course she's not okay you_ _idiot she's under the control of a sadistic psychopath. _

"EDWARD, can you hear anything I am saying to you? Jesus, you actually flew in this condition? Thank god you have a co-pilot. " He smacked me on my back.

"I am quite capable of doing my job. What were you trying to tell me?" I snapped.

Doing my job was never a problem for me. I had always found that my thoughts were much clearer when I was at 30,000 feet. I felt confident while flying. As a pilot you must be in complete control....Being in control of my surroundings put me at ease..._Unlike the lack of control I've had with my thoughts lately._ I've been called a control freak before, but that only applied to my work. In my free time I felt I deserved to be a bit irresponsible every now and then. Enjoy life to its fullest, because that was what they called balance, right?

At least I used to be this way.

Suddenly I was spending my free time obsessing over a girl I met only once, not even in bed. Oh yes… I've had my fun. Why wouldn't I? I was a young _pilot_ for Christ sake and I usually lived up to the expectation. If by expectation you mean cliché.

I turned my attention back to my brother as he spoke this time before he really got mad at me.

"I was saying, I wonder where the hell Aro is. I told him to be here by nine o'clock. He's probably already found his prey for the night if I know him," he took a swig of his beer.

_Aro… what an annoying shithead that guy is._ He was one of the stewards at Eclipse.

I knew I was no angel myself but that sleazeball gave men a bad name_. _I'd heard him on several occasions feed unsuspecting girls lies about him being a pilot and telling them all about his many homes to get them to sleep with him.

In reality, Aro was a male steward who lived in a small studio apartment in the Bronx. Also, the guy was a nasty drunk. I've seen him get too rough on more than one occasion with his _prey_ for the night.

We were at the hotel bar in Chicago. It wasn't often that Emmett flew out with us. This time he did, he had a marketing conference to attend. I usually tried to keep my distance from Aro but, for some reason, Emmett always got a kick out of the guy.

_Speak of the devil..._ When I looked up there he stood.

"Gentlemen. It's good to see you. I hope you're not gonna stick to drinking that wussy shit all night are you?"

_Ah yes__,__ such a classy guy._ Next thing I knew he was ordering a round of tequila shots for us and hitting on the cocktail waitress. _I'm gonna need to get drunk just to listen to the bullshit this guy will be spewing all night. _After several more shots and some in depth conversation about thongs I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I heard Aro say "Hey Lauren I'm so glad you were brave enough to come out and play with the big boys."

_Shit! Emmett didn't tell me they invited Lauren to come out with us._ _I don't feel like dealing with her horny ass tonight._

"Please Aro, from what I hear there is nothing _big_ about you." She was practically draped across my back. Emmett busted out laughing and called over the waitress to get Lauren a drink. "I was hoping I might find you here." She whispered in my ear.

Lauren was a stewardess for Eclipse-Airlines. She was a gorgeous woman by most mens standards. To me she was too damn plastic. I had always kept things professional with her because I didn't like mixing business with pleasure. Well... and because my father had warned me on several occasions to keep it in my pants at work. So I had brushed off Lauren's many advances.

But the girl was freaking persistent. About six months ago there was a major blizzard. We had flown in to Seattle and were stuck there overnight. All of the hotels were booked solid from the storm and Lauren and I _conveniently_ ended up in the same hotel room.

Actually it was more of a motel… cleanliness was not a virtue they valued. It was disgusting. But, it was all that was available. So we got better acquainted with each other that night…all night...if I remember correctly. Before anything started I made sure that she knew there would be no kind of commitment and she was like minded in this. She knew me and my way of life. The thought of being in a committed relationship with someone always made me cringe. To have to constantly explain everything you do and say just never appealed to me. Plus I had a very busy life.

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed a woman's company. I just never understood the Happily Ever After concept...too many beautiful and interesting women were out there to settle just for one. Monogamy always sounded like an extremely boring future to me. Lauren and I have had several encounters since that night in Chicago. The sex was good, I knew there were no expectations for something more and she never seemed to care for more than her own pleasure anyway. It was uncomplicated…exactly how I liked it to be. Yet now I felt like having sex with Lauren would have been so unappealing and..._wrong_? What was happening to me? I gave her a quick smile and averted my eyes elsewhere. Hoping she would take the hint and maybe sink her claws into someone else for the night.

No such luck. She was on me like white on rice. She was running her fingers through my hair, whispering naughty thoughts in my ear and being quite friendly with her hands under the table. Usually I felt aroused when Lauren acted that way. Not tonight. It went on for quite awhile and the alcohol kept flowing. Finally, I rationalized that maybe releasing my tension would help me to get myself together or maybe it was the alcohol speaking. I no longer tried to push her away; instead I started flirting with her.

Before I knew it we were in my hotel room. Lauren was peeling her dress off as soon as the door closed behind us. She pushed me down on the loveseat and seductively removed her bra and panties tossing them behind her. She straddled my hips and started grinding against me. Her lips were everywhere...Her moans were sending waves of hot breath on my skin. Lauren's hand caressed my chest and circled in lazy moves over my navel before her hand reached my belt. I was still desperately trying to shut out my thoughts of a certain brown eyed girl and concentrating on the action happening at the moment. Lauren unbuckled my pants and reached inside with her hand...in that moment I snapped out of the haze I had tried to get lost in. I was sober in an instant.

I grabbed her wrists gently, but firmly and said "I'm really sorry Lauren but I can't do this with you."

"Are you serious?" The look on her face was a mix of amusement and shock.

I lifted her off of me and set her down next to me on the loveseat to show her this wasn't a game.

"Very serious." I didn't really know what to say to the girl. Even I didn't understand what I was thinking.

"Okay Edward, who is she?" she flung her hair back and put her hand on her hip.

_Huh?_ "What are you talking about?" _Where the hell did that question come from?_

"Whoever she is she must be a really good lay to have you acting so crazy." She was onto the defensive and becoming nasty.

"It's not like that. Not everything is about sex Lauren." My voice sounded much angrier than I had intended. _What the hell am I saying? I don't even know who I am anymore. _

She stood up and started gathering her clothes together.

"Oh really? Because you could have fooled me. That's exactly what everything has always been about with you...sex...and only sex." She was pulling her dress over her head and then struggling to pull it down over her hips.

"I never heard you complaining. It's not like you were any different. If you're trying to make me look like the bad guy here it's not gonna happen. You knew exactly what to expect before I ever laid a hand on you. We had some fun together but that's all it ever was for me _and you_." I felt myself getting pissed. _Why do I have to fucking explain myself to her__?_ I mean, I felt kinda bad that I took her up to my room only to turn her away. That, I could apologize for. That was a real fucked up thing to do to someone. But, I couldn't help it. I didn't want _her._ Not even just for sex. I would rather be alone.

"Well I'm not having any fun now. Why did you even bring me to your room?" She had me there. I brought her to my room to fuck the shit out of her of course…But, I couldn't do it and she wanted to know why. I didn't even know the answer to that question myself.

"Look, Lauren...I apologize for flirting with you tonight and bringing you up to my room. I shouldn't have done that. I...uh...don't really know what has changed for me but I don't want to lie to you... I'm not interested in our arrangement anymore." I knew I wasn't making much sense. But I was trying to be honest with the girl. She deserved that much from me.

"OK, so are you gonna tell me her name or do I have to find it out through the gossip mill?" _What he fuck was her problem? I never said anything about another girl? _

"Who are you talking about? This doesn't have anything to do with anyone but me!" I was losing my patience.

"You expect me to believe that you just want to end a no strings attached, casual sex arrangement just because you've _changed_?" she giggled and looked at me like I had just told her I was from another planet.

"I don't really care what the hell you believe. I'm telling you the truth." At that point I'd had it. She needed to get the hell out of my room. I didn't have the patience for that shit. I was through explaining myself to her.

"Edward, please don't insult my intelligence." She eyed me for a few minutes before she started laughing like she had just heard the best joke of her life.

"Apparently, you aren't telling either one of us the truth. Looks to me like Mr. 'I don't believe in having girlfriends' has _feelings_ for someone and he doesn't even know it. I would be angry with you if it wasn't so damn hilarious and kind of cute, how oblivious you are." She bent down and kissed me on the cheek and then proceeded to walk to the door giggling on her way out. "Good night, Edward."

Only one word was still ringing in my ears after she left my room. _Feelings...?! What was that about? That's ridiculous. How could I possibly have feelings for a girl I've only met once? _Yet why did I think of Bella as soon as Lauren mentioned my acting crazy over someone?

_Man, what the hell is happening to me? _

* * *

After Lauren had left me alone in my room I started reliving that Saturday night once again. I didn't know how many times I was going to torture myself over a situation I simply couldn't control, but with the haze of alcohol gone, my head was clear enough to be obsessed with Bella all over again. Sleeping was nearly impossible. How could I sleep with her face in front of me all the time? Her expression as she realized I was in the room watching her pain scene. Her hoarse voice as she tried to not scream out in pain. Every stroke of the cane felt like a dagger in my heart. I remembered Jasper trying to convince me to get out of the playroom and I remembered our short argument about stopping James. I had pleaded with Jasper to stop the insanity and he explained that Bella would be in much more danger if he tried to do such a thing. I was so pissed at my best friend for letting a girl he called a friend suffer that way in his house, in his playroom. I could see Bella's eyes as they widened in shock once she saw the needles and that was it for me. I knew what I had to do. I knew where Jasper's fire sprinklers were posted; after all I was the one who bought the system with him. I knew that setting the sprinklers off in the library would also set them off in the playroom, because Jasper had decided to get the collective system. If one sprinkler were to go off all of them on the ground floor would. The day he bought them and went on telling me about how awesome the system was I was bored to death but on Saturday I was so happy I had that information. I didn't worry about the damage I would cause because whatever happened it wouldn't be as bad as Bella's frightened eyes and the look of defeat in them. The only part of the night I liked to recall was watching Bella asleep. She looked like an angel, so beautiful and peaceful. I had left her for only a few minutes to find Alice so she could get Bella something warm to wear and when I came back she was sleeping. I couldn't help but to sit beside the bed and gaze at her after Alice had put her in fresh clothes. She sighed in her sleep and mumbled something unintelligible. I tried hard to make sense of it...

Finally, I drifted into a restless sleep even then Bella didn't leave me. I dreamt of her...

A knock on my hotel room woke me up. I glanced at my watch and shot up like a bullet when I saw it was already noon. _Shit, how did I sleep so long? Thank __G__od our flight isn't scheduled until __four this afternoon__ which means I'll have some time to get my shit together. _

The knock on the door grew more urgent. I scrambled to the door and opened it.

"Don't tell me you were still sleeping?" Emmett was looking relieved. "Man, I was worried. You didn't show up for breakfast, though Lauren did and when I asked her about you she was all cryptic. Are you OK?"

_What a surprise, Lauren was cryptic. At least she didn't tell him about what happened last night._

"I'm fine. I guess I was exhausted. I didn't plan to sleep so late. We still have time our flight is in four hours. Anything else you needed?" I'm usually not this grumpy in the morning or afternoon, whatever, but I really wanted to take a shower and have a warm meal before answering Emmett's questions about the previous night.

"No, I was just checking on you. Making sure Lauren didn't kill you for turning her down last night." He tried hard to stifle a grin.

_I knew it. I had actually thought she could for once keep her mouth shut._

"Listen, Emmett, she's got it all wrong. She thinks it's because of another woman, but it has nothing to do with Bella. Our arrangement isn't working for me anymore. Lauren is a good time and all but one day she'll slip in front of Dad and you know what he said about affairs at work. Whatever she told you just forget about it, OK?"

"Whoa, actually she didn't tell me anything. I just guessed by the look on her face. She didn't look how a satisfied woman should look after a night full of passion. Her hostile attitude when I asked about you confirmed my suspicion." He went past me and sat down on the bed. "So big brother, is there anything you would like to tell me?" he was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

_Fuck!_

"Emmett, there is nothing to tell you. Don't make yourself comfortable here because you're leaving. I wanna take a shower and go for lunch before we have to leave for the airport." I ushered him out and though I was Emmett's older brother he was too big for me to really succeed in pushing him out of the door.

"Edward, you can't serve me that shit and expect me to ignore it, can you? Come on talk to me." His tone reminded me of my father's.

"Thanks, _dad_, there is nothing I wanna talk about right now. If I feel the need to talk to you I will come and find you." I closed the door as soon as he was out and stalked to the bathroom to take my shower.

I had to find a way...it was obvious I couldn't let this go. I was too much involved in the story of a woman I didn't even know. It was confusing and irritating to say the least, but it was still haunting me. _If I could only explain why I am feeling this way... Was Lauren right? Do I have feelings for Bella? How can someone possibly have feelings for a person he doesn't know at all? The way Alice is bond to this girl must have affected me, especially because Alice doesn't have many friends. I am doing this for Alice not for Bella...right?_

I thought of the possibilities that I had and recognized they were very little if existent at all. What did I know about Isabella Swan? Hell, I didn't even know her father was a candidate for the governor position. _Why haven't I heard of this man before?_

I had no choice but to go to Jasper and either beg him to give me more information or beat it out of him.

So there I was standing in front of Jaspers' house -only half an hour after our landing- hoping Alice wasn't at home, because it would be hard enough to convince Jasper to help me and I didn't want him to refuse me, if Alice decided she wants to help too . After what seemed like an eternity Laurent, Jasper's butler, opened the door.

"Mr. Cullen, hello, sir." He greeted me as polite as ever.

"Laurent," I nodded at him. "Is Mr. Whitlock home?"

"Yes, sir, he is in the library. Would you like me to call him for you?" the butler asked.

"No, thank you. I will find him myself." I turned to go and paused briefly. "Is my sister at home, too?"

"No, sir. She left to go out about an hour ago."

I was relieved. No Alice. I had plenty of time to talk to Jasper alone. I continued on my way without hesitation now. Soon after I found Jasper, who was sorting through some scattered books on a table. His Library was a large room with shelves on every wall holding as many books as you would usually find in a bookstore. The table in the center of the room had many piles of books on it, like they were categorized in some way.

"Don't you have servants for this kind of stuff?" I greeted him with a smile as I walked over to the rocking chair on the right side of the door.

"Hello to you too, Edward." He didn't look very happy to see me. "Yes, I have servants but this task is very delicate; I need to do it myself. The sprinklers ruined a lot of valuable books and I need to decide which are damaged beyond repair and which can still be saved. Which reminds me, do you have any idea what happened on Saturday?" he eyed me suspiciously.

_Ah, I forgot Jasper wanted to talk to me. Well, no use in denying it, I can see he knows anyway._

I was willing to pay for the damage but it didn't look like that would placate my friend. I still offered. "There's no need to play twenty questions. You know it was me that set the sprinklers to go off. I don't regret it though. Your possessions can be replaced and I am ready to pay for the damage that I caused."

"I'm not talking about money Edward. What the hell were you thinking? Do you know what could have happened? People could have gotten hurt while running out, thinking they needed to run for their lives."

"What the hell was_** I**_ thinking?" I launched up out off the chair. "I was thinking of doing something to help the poor girl hanging from YOUR ceiling. Unlike you, I didn't turn my back on her." I had to calm myself down. After all I still wanted to ask Jasper for a favor. Being furious at him wouldn't help my cause. "Jazz, look I 'm sorry I couldn't come up with a better idea, but it worked. I just couldn't stand there and watch Bella being tortured by that prick. I asked you to help me and you refused, so I dealt with it on my own."

"Damn it, Edward, I didn't refuse you. I just didn't know what I could do to help her without causing her much more trouble in the process. I did ask James not to play hard in my playroom, but you saw it yourself, James feels pleasure in doing exactly the opposite of what I ask him. Do you think I would enjoy needle-play? I am not sadistic Edward."

Jasper had moved from the spot he had been standing when I entered and was now standing directly in front of me. The anger in his eyes was palpable. I didn't want to fight with him. I would rather use his frustration to help me get Bella out of James' clutches.

"I'm sorry, Jasper. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything. It's just...I asked you to help me when he hooked her up to the ceiling. You couldn't help, I get it, but do you understand why I had to do something?" My voice was no longer arguing. I wanted him to calm down so I could ask him what I came for.

"Actually, no, Edward, I don't. Why did you _have t_o help? Why are you so interested in Bella's fate? She's not the type of girl I usually see you with and if my memory serves me you are not one to get involved in other people's business. I've always known you to be a selfish bastard. Why the change of heart now?" Jasper's eyes were assessing me. I didn't expect that question so early in our conversation and I didn't have an answer. What could I tell him that wouldn't sound cheesy and utterly unbelievable? How could I explain something to him that I still couldn't understand myself?

I decided to use the argument I had been using to placate myself.

"You know Alice..." I trailed off when he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Are you going to tell me you're doing this for Alice? Try something else, Edward, I'm not buying that one."

I gave up. "Listen, Jasper, I can only tell you what I figured out so far and it's very little. I ...uh...care for Bella. I feel like I **have to **protect her. Don't ask why, because, frankly, that's the part I haven't figured out yet. I have been thinking about her ever since Saturday. She is affecting me in ways I can't even comprehend yet. I ended my arrangement with Lauren yesterday." I added in a low murmur. Maybe Jasper would understand how much I was possessed by Bella if he knew about Lauren.

"You did?" The surprise was evident in Jaspers' voice. "Edward, I am very glad you finally put an end to that ridiculous affair you were having with a co-worker for the sake of your career. But I am going to repeat what I already told you at the party, James is a very dangerous man, you can't simply breeze in and expect to save Bella as if you were her fucking knight on a white horse. This shit is much deeper than you getting in a fight and your father sending his lawyer to bail you out of jail. Bella doesn't want anyone to help her. She told Alice herself and honestly, it wouldn't be any good for her _or you_ if you try to help her. Let it go, Edward. Bella is not the right girl for you. We can't force our help on her and her situation is obviously far from uncomplicated."

_What the fuck is Jasper saying? Let it go? Is he serious?_ I clenched my jaw and counted to ten to calm myself before doing anything I might regret later.

When I felt I could finally talk I spoke very slowly. "Fuck you, Whitlock. If that's what you think then screw you. I don't need your help. Just tell me where I can find this friend of hers, Jake."

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I have no clue regarding the whereabouts of Jacob Black," Jasper replied in a clipped tone.

I stood in front of Jasper trying to control the anger and irritation I felt towards my best friend. I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. Was it really a dead end? I had banked on Jasper at least pointing me in to the right direction. Wait a minute...

"How did you know his name is Jacob Black?"

"What? That's not our main concern right now..."

"It fucking is **my** main concern right now," I interrupted him. "The day you told us about the break up you barely could remember his name was Jake. Now you suddenly know his full name?"

"Why did you come to me, if you thought I couldn't remember his name?" Jasper was avoiding my question, but I was not going to let myself be distracted.

"What are you, in kindergarten? I came to you because I knew you could help me. Whatever you know could be helpful. I didn't count on you having details but here you are surprising me by knowing this guy's full name. You know something and I want to know what."

"Again I am telling you this is not important. What **is** important, however, is your future and the way you seem determined to destroy it. I'm not going to say I understand what's going on with you, because I clearly don't. I've known you for a long time though and I know you've never acted this way before for any girl. I do like the idea of you having real feelings for a woman instead of your affairs, but..."

"But what?" I interrupted again. "You don't know the first thing about my feelings Jasper. Hell I don't know myself. Yes, I have a mysterious attachment to Bella and I feel the need to protect her. I don't see anything wrong about feeling so chivalrous for a change."

"Is that all this is Edward? Just being chivalrous?" He eyed me intensely. After a few seconds had passed, without me answering, he went on. "I didn't think so...when I first met Alice in your office I felt the same way. I knew she didn't belong in my world and yet I felt a strong pull toward her. I was ready to change everything about myself to be with her.

"In my case I was the danger, Edward. In your case, Bella is the danger. Don't interrupt me again," he said hastily when he saw me opening my mouth to disagree with him. "Bella herself is not a danger, but the situation she's in can get a lot worse with your involvement. There is more to this than it appears.

"We are not teenagers anymore. You have a huge responsibility toward your father, your mother and Eclipse Airlines. I know how much you like to forget that... you are not just a pilot.

You are the future CEO of your father's company. Carlisle worked so hard for this and he wants you to take his place one day. When is the rebellion you are leading going to end? The fights, the drinking, the women? How can Carlisle convince the share holders that you are fit to take over after him? Do you want your dad to lose everything he worked so hard for?"

"What does any of that have to do with Bella?" I knew what was coming next and I realized that he was right. Although I loved being a pilot my future was set on becoming the CEO of Eclipse Airlines one day. I was involved in everything regarding Eclipse, I attended the company meetings and my father relied heavily on my opinion when making major decisions.

"Can't you see what will happen if you try to help Bella? James is not only dangerous; he is extremely powerful as well, he has many connections. Do not underestimate him just because you think he's only a club owner or a two bit gangster.

"Bella is a very nice girl. I really like her, but she has help already. Her friend Jake is helping her. She only has three more months left. Keep in mind it was her decision. She chose this path and she chose not to have anyone help her on it. I promise I'll look out for her the best I can, but I will not allow you to endanger yourself or Alice. I worked hard to get away from James. I am asking you now; don't make it all to no avail." His tone was distressed and he avoided looking at me when he was finished.

_Right...it was her choice. She chose to protect her family. There was nothing wrong about it. She was willing to go through this, because she loves her family and she doesn't want anyone else to get hurt. Jasper loves his family also; he's trying to protect Alice and me._

I understood how much Alice's safety meant to him and it meant the same to me. I was seeing reason, but I had no control over my feelings. I was feeling like I was abandoning someone dear, but the truth was she was not related to me in any way. I had convinced myself that I was doing it for Alice, because that's what Alice would want. I had convinced myself I was being chivalrous, because seeing someone in distress meant helping them. I just never realized what was at stake. Could I risk everything to help a girl ...who didn't even want my help?

It made sense, what Jasper said...then why didn't I feel like I was doing the right thing?

"Come, Edward, we should be on our way. Alice is already at your parent's place. We're going to be late for dinner."

I was in trance. I felt numb, like I was giving up on someone... irreplaceable.

* * *

I was so fucking confused. I had to stop this immediately. It was unhealthy. No more thoughts of Bella. I shook my head trying to shake off my compulsive thoughts as I walked into my parent's home. Jasper was trailing quietly behind me. It was Friday night; the one night of the week my parents expected their children to come home for dinner. I brought Jasper with me since Alice was already there with her car. Our car ride together was silent. Tension filled the air.

I could hear the familiar sound of my family's chattering as I entered the living room. My parent's home was really more of a mansion. It would have been ostentatious if it hadn't been for my mother's incredible decorating skills. She somehow managed to make the house warm and cozy. It felt like a home and not a museum.

"My darling you look exhausted. Have you been sleeping alright?" My mother pulled me closer to examine my face. _Her ability to instantly know when something was bothering me always baffled me._

"Hi Mom, I'm a little tired. But, I'm alright." Emmett and Jasper eyed me suspiciously.

"He'll be alright Ma, Eddie's just a bit _off _the past few days." My brother said with a smirk. I scowled at him. He knew how much I hated it when he called me Eddie.

"Maybe you shouldn't go out tonight darling I don't want you to push yourself and get sick." She was touching her hand to my forehead.

"No I'll be fine. After a large helping of your lasagna I'll be as good as new." I kissed my mother on her cheek and headed for the couch.

Tonight was my co-pilot and good friend Peter's birthday. Peter was probably the nicest most honest and hardworking guy I knew. He was the type of man that mothers dream their daughters would someday marry. Peter was the opposite of Aro. Who would also be there tonight. Aro picked the club we were going to. A place called Breaking Dawn.

I had never been there before but, I heard it was quite popular. I had to go tonight even though all I wanted to do was lie in my bed and forget this week ever happened.

"Edward, please tell Peter we are very sorry we can't make it tonight we have major wedding plans to discuss with mom." My sister was as obsessed with her wedding plans as I was with thinking about how to save Bella. It must run in our blood. _Is there an obsessive gene? If so it must be part of the Cullen DNA. _

"Oh great, you're not going Alice? I guess I'll be stuck listening to Charlotte's mindless chatter all night. How lovely."

"Rose! That's a horrible thing to say. Charlotte and Peter are the nicest couple I know." Alice was shaking her finger at Rose.

"Nice doesn't necessarily mean interesting. They may be very nice but they are also the most boring couple I know. Am I the only one willing to admit it?" Rose held her hands up as if she expected the rest of us to agree with her. I just rolled my eyes.

"Honey not everyone can be as interesting as we are. Show some mercy." Emmett was teasing his wife. Her eyes shot daggers at him and we all laughed.

"What is so funny? Are you ganging up on my poor daughter in law once again?" My father feigned anger. Dad was just returning from work. I shot a glance at my watch. He's been out since 6 am and it was already 8pm. _Great, that's the life awaiting me working and working and more working._

"As a matter of fact they are and of course I am undeserving of their vicious attack on me as always." Rose folded her arms and glared at each of us.

Dinner conversation consisted of my sister telling us their exciting wedding news. They were getting married at a Palace in Austria. Jasper's family is from there. I knew it must have cost a hefty sum of money and some very good connections to wed in the Palace. But, if anyone could pull it off it would be my little sister. Alice had talked so fast during dinner I didn't even think she had chewed her food as she ate it. I was trying to look interested although I don't think I was very convincing.

* * *

We pulled up at the club and the first thing I noticed was that the parking lot was almost full. I was in no mood for a loud crowded club tonight. We were supposed to meet Peter, Charlotte and Aro there at ten o'clock and we were thirty minutes late since Rose made us stop at their house to change her outfit. Hmm..women..I just didn't have the patience for them.

We were looking around for Peter which was no easy task since the club was wall to wall people. The music was so loud the floor was vibrating. There was a huge circular bar designed to look like the sun. We were being pushed and pulled through a herd of party animals. Finally, I spotted Peter and Charlotte sitting at a small table near the dance floor.

"Happy birthday my friend. Sorry we're late." I said with a smile. Maybe this would be my lucky night and Aro wouldn't show up. But of course as soon as the thought entered my mind his familiar voice filled the air.

"Gentlemen, glad you decided to join us. Rose, you are a vision as always." He was kissing Rose's hand as he sat down.

"Hey, man, get your lips off of my wife! Get your own girl." Emmett was playfully swatting Rose's hand away from Aro's lips.

"As a matter of fact that is _exactly _what I intend to do." He winked at Emmett and then leaned in to whisper to me. "If I have my way the hot little waitress that just got my drink will be screaming my name before the night is through." Since Aro and I were the only single guys within our little social group he always felt the need to keep me informed of his conquests. It was pretty fucking annoying. Trust me, any girl that wanted to be with that asshole would never end up in my bed.

As I looked around the club I noticed there were four large television screens that showed live footage of the crowd. What a great idea. People loved watching themselves on television. Especially drunk people. The crowd was really hamming it up. Some were making obscene gestures others were primping for the camera and blowing kisses à la Marilyn Monroe. It was quite entertaining really. I looked out onto the dance floor and noticed at the center was an eye catching and very bright sun that was hanging from the ceiling projecting light out onto the crowd that was bumping and grinding below it.

I kept my eyes glued to the television screens to try and tune out all the bickering that was going on at our table. Aro was passionately arguing with Rose as to why he believed all women should legally have to take a course on how to please a man. He was slurring his words and practically missing his mouth when he went to take a sip of his drink.

_Ah… yes .It's gonna be a long night. _Finally he stood up and said. "If you will all excuse me I need to go find my bedmate for tonight." He winked at me and staggered away. _What woman would possibly be attracted to that shithead_? _Well, hopefully whoever she was she would keep him occupied for the rest of the night and I wouldn't have to listen to his bullshit anymore._

"That guy is a complete asshole Emmett, why on earth do you even talk to him?" It wasn't often that I agreed with my sister in law but this time I couldn't have agreed more.

"Ah come on, honey, he's harmless. I enjoy watching him make a fool out of himself. You take him too seriously." Emmett was rubbing Rose's back and she was rolling her eyes at him.

Suddenly something caught Rose's eye on the screen above us. "Well look at what we have here… jerk TV. What pathetic tramp is he going to latch himself onto tonight?" It was Aro on the screen. _This should be something to see_.

The camera angle widened to show a dark haired girl trying to pull her arm free of his grasp. I shook my head twice knowing I must be hallucinating hard because to me the girl looked exactly like...Bella. _Man I need help. _I was broken out of my thoughts by my brother's voice yelling "Hey Edward look it's that chick Bella talking to Aro." _Bella?_

I could swear my heart skipped a beat just from the sound of her name and the realization that it was really her. Soon anger took the place of the joy I had felt at first. I jumped up. _What the hell is she doing here?_ _And why the fuck is she talking to Aro? _Without even thinking about it I found myself searching through the club trying to figure out where they were standing. I was forcefully pushing my way through the dense crowd.

"Come on, sweetie, stop trying to fight it. We are meant for each other. I can take you places you've only dreamed of. I have my own plane you know. Have you ever been to Paris?" Aro's grasp was tight on Bella's arm. She was squirming to get away. His other hand was groping her ass. I stood behind him my blood was boiling.

"Let her go right fucking **now** or I'm gonna beat the shit out of you, Aro!!" I couldn't even look at Bella; my eyes were too full of rage.

"Why don't you get your own piece of ass for the night Edward. I was just getting acquainted with this lovely young lady here." He was practically drooling on Bella. It only fueled my fire even more. _This dickhead is going down._

I grabbed the arm that was groping Bella's ass and twisted it behind his back. "I swear to God Aro I will break your fucking arm!"

"Get off of me you fucking pretty boy! Why don't you go find one of your little pilot groupies. You spoiled little shit." He was shifting his body back and forth trying to break free of my grip trying hard to steady himself since he was so wasted. Aro was distracted enough that Bella was able to pull her arm free.

"Edward? What...? Please...let him go. I'm fine, it's okay." Bella looked a little confused. She was rubbing her arm where he had grabbed her and I could see that it had already turned red.

"No it's most definitely NOT okay Bella! This asshole owes you an apology." I let go of Aro and he spun around looking directly into my eyes.

"I will do no such thing. She wanted it. Look at the way she's dressed one could assume she's nothing but a god damn whore anyway."

And that was it. My fists went flying. Thank God Bella was smart enough to get out of the way. I had lost all control of my senses. My mind only contained a single thought.

Beat the shit out of Aro. And that's exactly what I was doing until my idiot brother showed up and pulled me off of him. Peter had grabbed Aro.

"Edward, calm the fuck down! Do you think it would be wise for you to get arrested tonight?" Emmett was pulling me away from where Aro and Peter stood. I couldn't think straight all I wanted to do was lunge back onto that dick and finish what I had started. Clearly that wasn't going to happen since Peter had lead Aro away and my brother was looking at me like he was about to scold a child_. Oh here we go again_…

"Are you seriously trying to fuck your life up? How many chances do you think dad can give you? You better get your shit together man. I'm not going to tell you this again.

"We are leaving. I'm going to get Rose." He let out a deep sigh and gave me a disappointed look and walked away. I didn't give a shit about what Emmett just said or even about what Jasper had told me only a few hours ago. My only concern at that moment was the girl standing just a few feet away from me.

"Are you alright, Bella?" God it felt so good just to say her name...to see her. She was okay. And she would stay okay. **No one** was going to lay a finger on Bella in front of me, no matter what I had to do to prevent it.

"Yes I'm fine. Your brother is right though. You really shouldn't have gotten involved Edward. It wasn't necessary." She actually looked angry at me. _What the fuck?_

"You think it's alright for a guy to put his hands on you like that?" Bella was wearing black spandex hot pants and a low cut and midriff bearing tank top with the Breaking Dawn logo on it. The girl was totally oblivious as to how freaking sexy she was and that worried me.

"Of course not that's not what I'm saying. It's not your responsibility to protect me, Edward. I don't want you to get into any trouble over me. Not again...you did enough for me already." She looked pained and I didn't like it.

"Listen to me Bella" my voice became softer. I looked down at her and she was biting her lip_. Damn that's cute_. Her eyes had softened and I knew we were in a _moment_.

I've never had a moment with anyone before… at least not like that. But I had heard of them. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush from the fight…or maybe it was my relief that my obsession was standing in front of me. But, it took all that I had not to grab that girl and kiss her in that moment. I was afraid to freak her out. _Here I am beating the shit out of someone for hitting on her and then I want to grab her and kiss her myself. What a hypocrite I am._ But I would never grab her roughly like Aro did or grope her like she was a piece of meat. That was what had pissed me off. He was hurting her. And he was disrespectful to her. After all that she's going through at this time she didn't deserve that shit. It wasn't like I was jealous or anything. _Was I..? No, of course not! _ I just wanted people to treat her right. Was that too much to ask? I didn't think so. Yet, no one seemed to agree with me… not even Bella.

"I know you don't want anyone to put themselves at risk to help you. But, could I ask why are you allowed to sacrifice so much and expect absolutely nothing from those that care for you? Are you that selfless?" I really wanted to know the answer to this.

Bella looked down for a few moments and then looked back up at me with a warm smile on her face. It may sound freaking corny but I could feel my heart beat racing and I nearly lost my breath.

"Why are you so determined to help me? It's totally insane you know. Do you have any idea what kind of man James is? He eats guys like you for breakfast. Believe me Edward I really wish that we could have met under far better circumstances. But, I can't live my life on wishes. The reality is that it's just not possible for you to help me. Throwing yourself in the fire would just hurt me even more. For me to know that I was the cause of someone else's destruction would be more painful to me than anything James could do. Can you understand that?" Her eyes were pleading with me and she reached out and grabbed my hand. A jolt shot up my arm. _What the fuck was that?_

"I understand. But, I don't agree. It's cowardly to say that no one can help you. You're basing that decision on fear. It's what James would want you to do. You are no coward, Bella. Don't play into him. He is feeding off of your kindness." I ran my hands through my hair before I went on to ask about what I really wanted to know. "How bad has the abuse been this past week?" I was afraid to raise this topic but I just had to know. It had been killing me all week imagining him torturing her.

"Shockingly James has been avoiding me for some strange reason all week. I haven't asked him any questions. I was just glad to be left alone. James and Victoria left early this morning on a business trip they'll be back Sunday afternoon. He sent me here to work for him. Taylor is here to watch over me. But last I saw of him he was out in the alley with his dealer. The guy has a serious drug problem.",_So this was James' club. The same club he had once owned with Jasper. I should have figured that out as soon as I saw Bella here. __But, I wasn't thinking straight. _

"Bella, please come with me. I can protect you. I won't let James anywhere near you. I promise." I was begging her. At this point I felt like if she asked me to I would get down on my knees. I just wanted to be sane again and for some reason that didn't seem possible until I helped this girl.

"Please stop it! Yes, you might be able to keep James away from _me_. But you can't keep him away from all the people I love. He knows exactly what would hurt me the most. I just can't put my loved ones in such danger. I'm not selfless Edward it's all my fault that James is in my life to begin with. I did this to myself. I have no one else to blame and I refuse to let anyone else pay the price for my mistake. That includes you." Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip poked out and was starting to quiver. I felt like a monster. I was still holding her hand not wanting to let it go. I noticed that Aro's blood was splattered across my knuckles.

"Well, if it isn't another episode of _Poor little me_." I turned my head to see Rose and my brother standing behind me.

"Not now Rose. Stay out of this." I didn't like her bitchy attitude.

"Let's go Edward. I think you've caused enough trouble for one night." Emmett shot me a serious look. _When the fuck did my brother of all people become so freaking uptight? Emmett used to be such a fun loving guy and now he is acting like HE is my older brother._

'What the fuck is wrong with the two of you? Bella is in serious fucking danger and all you two can do is stand around spitting out wise ass remarks and giving stern looks?"

"Listen brother, I have nothing against Bella. I'm sure she's a very nice person, but you just beat the shit out of Aro...one of dad's employees. How the hell is _that_ gonna help Bella in any way? You're not thinking straight man." He had ignored Bella completely. He actually looked like he was trying to negotiate with a crazy person. _Maybe he was._

"Edward, please just go. Listen to your family. They know what's best for you." Bella kept her eyes down.

I wanted to scream at her. _I don't give a shit what's best for __**me**__!_

_Do you think I sat up every fucking night this week thinking about what was best for __**me**__? I want to know what's best for __**YOU**__! That's what I fucking want to know._

But I didn't say that. I was tired of words. I was going to let my actions speak for themselves. She was never going to agree to my help. She was too kind and too selfless for that. That psychopath was not going to take advantage of her anymore. Not if I could help it. I was going to find her friend Jake and figure out a way to save Bella whether she liked it or not. Because that was the right thing to do. I didn't give a shit what anyone told me anymore…including her.

According to Emmett Peter drove Aro's drunken ass home that night. I made sure I called Peter first thing the following morning to apologize for ending his birthday celebration so abruptly.

Of course the nice guy that he is he accepted. Aro on the other hand I would never apologize to. That fucking guy had better stay the hell away from me from now on if he knew what was good for him. I brushed aside my angry thoughts of Aro and focused on the large wood door before me.

I knocked loudly.

_This fucking guy better help me in this mess..._

_

* * *

_

**Questions, Suggestions or Complaints? Let us know!! The teaser offer is still valid!**

**For those of you who enjoy Romance and Humor... My co-writer TropicalSorbet and me are working on a new story. I will upload the first Chapter very soon, so put me on Author's Alert so you know when it's on!**

**Merry Christmas to everyone!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**AN/ I know we had agreed on having weekly updates but like everyone of us RL caught up with me during the holidays...and you truly have to thank my co-writer TropicalSorbet for this Update..I would have waited another week..her schedule is thankfully better than mine so she wrote this Chapter on her own...there is only a light touch of me in it.**

**She also took the time to create a twitter account for us with our amazing beta HappyMess please go and check it out, because from now on the teasers will be posted on our twitter page..The Id is "tropicaltherani"....which leads me to apologizing about not sending out the teasers for Chapter 6...like I said I had a lot going on, but I promise things are settling down and I will start working on MOD again same as on REC (yes, it's the new story. I will start posting it as soon as I have a few Chapters written, I don't want it to get in the way with MOD). I really LOVED your reviews and hope you will keep them coming although we will post teasers on twitter from now on!!!  
**

**Usually we don't like rewriting a scene from a different POV but we are making an exception, because we thought you might need to know how Bella feels about what happened...Enjoy this Chapter!**

**DISCLAIMER WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT. STEPHENIE MEYER DOES!**

* * *

**Chapter 6 **

**BPOV**

I hobbled my wretched body through James' front door. The first thing I noticed was the eerie stillness in the air_. Home sweet home Bella._ The stillness wasn't actually very odd at all. What I did find odd was that James hadn't appeared. I had thought for sure that he would have been furious that his torture fest had been interrupted. I assumed his twisted mind would have found a way to blame that on me. What was even more shocking was that I found him to be avoiding me like the plague the rest of the week. He would purposely leave the room if I walked in. Usually James could not resist throwing at least one degrading remark my way; for the past week he hadn't even looked at me once. It was as though I no longer existed to him. It was better than I could have dared to hope for. I couldn't help but to ask myself what the hell that psycho was up to now? I was smart enough though not to ask any questions, I just observed him quietly. Victoria had also been very distant towards me, though it certainly wasn't strange for her behavior to mirror James. She was like his demented red headed mini-me.

Six days and five nights of gruesome nightmares had passed since Alice's party. Getting into that car and driving away from Alice's house had to be the most difficult part of the whole evening for me and that was saying a lot. I felt like my heart was literally breaking apart knowing that I was leaving to go back to the last place in the world I wanted to be. The night had been a total disaster. Though I must admit there were a few surprises as well. Alice's brother Edward had been so wonderful to me. I seriously didn't deserve it. Not after exposing Alice and their family to that madman.

I found myself daydreaming several times over the course of the week, recalling what it felt like to be wrapped up in Edward's warm hug. It had become my happy place. I hadn't had a happy place before that since no other memory caused so much peace and tranquility for me. Yes, I knew it was crazy for me to be so strongly affected by something that I was sure meant absolutely nothing to him. I mean he even told me that he had promised Alice he would take care of me. I was no fool. I was well aware that he had helped me as a favor for his sister and not for me. Not to mention that I was a bloody and bruised pile of aching flesh. Not exactly the setting for a romantic encounter. However, when I went to my happy place I was wrapped up in Edward's amazing hug once again but this time I was not bloody and bruised. I was strong and free.

At first I tried to stop myself from indulging in my Mr. Gorgeous eyes fantasies. But, after day one I gave up fighting it and decided I would permit myself this one indulgence. It's not like I would ever see the guy again. It would be like having my own imaginary friend, a hot as hell imaginary friend...but, hey a girl can dream right? And if there was anything I needed the most at this point, it was a friend.

On Friday morning Eric had informed me that James and Victoria had left on a business trip and would be away until Sunday afternoon. If he wasn't such a cold brute I would have hugged him on the spot. Immediately I felt a huge wave of relief wash over me. Then he told me that James had left orders for me to work at his club that night as a cocktail waitress_. Damn him! He knows how I feel about that place._

Breaking Dawn was the club that James owned. In the past I had seen more of it than I had ever wanted to. Over the course of the five months that James and I had dated I spent a good amount of my time there. He was so damn possessive over whom I talked to that I was hardly allowed to be away from him at all. The club was extremely popular and a very profitable business venture for him. He knew how to make money off of other people's weaknesses. It was the location of our big break up and on that night I swore I'd never return there again. Not to sign a damn contract and certainly not as James' freaking sub. _Well, James won't be there tonight. I suppose there is always a bright side to every situation…right?_ At least I used to believe that. Not so much anymore.

Summer was now over and school was about to start. I was expected back at work. James had refused to let me teach during the day and be his sub at night. Believe me I tried to negotiate that into the contract but he wouldn't budge. So I needed to request an emergency leave of absence. I hadn't done this sooner since I had been hoping that Jake would have gotten some information I could use against James before the end of summer. Also, it may sound crazy but I had completely lost track of what day, week and even month I was in. I had simply stopped caring about time. I just existed from day to day_. Do people in jail feel the same way?_ I had noticed a calendar at Alice's house and I freaked out when I saw the date.

Amazingly enough I was actually able to convince Eric to drive me to the school to fill out the necessary paperwork. Eric was no softie by any means. However, when compared to James, Victoria and Taylor, Eric seemed like a teddy bear. They had no respect for him and he was often the recipient of their verbal abuse. I wondered why he put up with being treated that way. Then I quickly realized I of all people was in no position to judge him.

As I pulled open the doors to Sleepy Hollow elementary school I thought about how much my life had changed since I had last walked those bright and chaotic hallways_. No time for sentimental strolls down memory lane. _I had to get my head straight. I made my way to the main office and found that I could actually remember what it felt like to share a mutual respect with those around you. What a mess I had managed to get myself into. I just hoped that Mrs. Delaney wouldn't notice that I would be blatantly lying to her face. My whole life I had been told that I was the absolute worst liar in the world. Apparently my face always gave it all away. Though I was thinking my recent time spent in hell had swiped all emotion from my face and I could pull it off. I straightened my skirt and attempted a "What? Me tell a lie? Never." expression as I opened the door to the main office.

"Bella, it's so good to see you honey." It was Mrs. Cope the head secretary. She had short white hair and bright blue eyes that twinkled when she smiled. She sprang up from her swivel chair and rushed my way with her arms stretched out. Thankfully most of my welts were healing quite nicely so I wouldn't feel much pain from the contact I could see I was about to receive. She wrapped me up in her motherly embrace and I felt myself almost lose my resolve in the first ten seconds. Shit! _Stop being such a baby Bella_._ What on earth made you think you could pull this off? Focus! If you mess this up you will destroy your whole family…again. _After some small talk and being scolded for getting "too thin" I was ready to get down to the business at hand.

"Bella, how lovely to see you. I'm so sorry to hear that your stepmother is so ill." Mrs. Delaney the school principal approached me with a welcoming smile. She was impeccably dressed as always in her business suit and matching heels._ Okay, __it's_ s_how time._ _Lord_... _please don't let me mess this up._

"Uh...Yes, it has been a very tough time for my family. I can't thank you enough for your support."_Well that was certainly no lie._ _Keep it short and sweet._ I could feel my heart racing and my hands were shaking like a leaf. I was really hoping she would just contribute that as a result of my concern for Sue.

So there I was filling out paperwork stating that I needed to care for my sick stepmother while my father was out on the campaign trail. If only that were the truth. In reality, Sue was staying with her mother in New Hampshire. She and my father were under the assumption that I had spent the summer in Cameroon, Africa.

After college I eagerly volunteered to be in the Peace Corps. I had a calling to do so ever since I knew it existed. So I figured if I didn't do it before I started my career it would never happen Also, after I lost my mother in the accident I really wanted to get away from all of the painful memories that surrounded me for awhile and focus on helping others. It was the most rewarding experience of my entire life. I had been invited to come back to Badzuidjong Village where I had spent a little over two years teaching the locals to read and write. I had planned on spending some of my summer there until I was visited by the devil himself that fateful day. I felt horrible that I had to cancel that trip and even worse that I had lied to my family about it. It was for the best I often told myself. I couldn't tell them the truth and I hadn't actually lied to them I just didn't tell them my plan had been changed. Though even that was no longer correct since I had emailed my father that same day to tell him I was extending my visit for three months due to an emergency shortage in the region.

I was very grateful that I even had the opportunity to tell those lies. I know that doesn't sound very nice. James would never have given me permission to go to the school and fill out the paperwork. He would be more than thrilled for me to lose my job. Of course James did grant permission for me to use his laptop to send my father the email to explain my whereabouts, covering his own ass as always.

After successfully deceiving people that are dear to me I made a quick stop by my classroom just to absorb its powerful essence. I was so caught up in my private pity party that I had lost all track of time. I had been just sitting at my desk and staring at the familiar objects and photographs that decorated my room. I finally got the will to get my pathetic ass up and walk away from the wonderful life I had carefully constructed for myself. I quickly headed back to the burning pits of hell. Eric was waiting for me in the car.

Night arrived before I knew it and I had to get ready to go to the club. _Wow! Time really flies when your evil Master is away._ After putting on the skimpy hoochie momma uniform that I was required to wear I set out into the crowd like a good little slave_. Good lord Bella__,__ stop being so damn pitiful._

I couldn't help but watch the girls on the dance floor flirting with boys and laughing with their friends. I had always loved to dance even though my clumsy ass had no rhythm. That never stopped me though. I was no party girl by any means. No matter how hard I had tried I could never hold my alcohol. A few glasses of wine and I would be a giggling mess. I easily got lost in music. My iPod was one of the few luxuries I was permitted to bring with me to James' house. It had pulled me through many rough nights. Thankfully he had no idea how important it was to me or I would not have it.

I knew I should be working and not ogling the customers on the dance floor as I was clearly doing. So then why was I still standing there like a damn fool? I could feel myself starting to sway to the music that was being pumped throughout the club not being able to help myself from getting caught up in the enticing beat. Suddenly I felt an arm slither around my waist. Alcohol drenched breath poured out into my hair.

"Well hello there gorgeous. I think you are exactly who I have been looking for all night." _Ugh...Do women actually fall for this crap? _

"Would you like a drink sir?" I had pulled my face as far away from him as possible he tightened his grip around my waist and pulled me in closer to him.

"Oh Yes I would love to get a drink from you." He said and then winked at me. _Ick! This guy is repulsive. _I wanted to tell him to get his grubby little hands off of me before I kneed him in the fucking balls so god damn hard that he'd be hitting high notes that would put Mariah Carey to shame. That is what I _wanted_ to say. I knew if I spoke to a customer of James' in such a manner there would be hell to pay. So I bit my tongue and smiled.

"Would you like another scotch sir?" I could smell the scotch on his breath.

"I would like anything your pretty little hands will give me sweetheart." He licked his lips and looked me over from head to toe. He was eye fucking me and I was thoroughly disgusted by it.

"If you'll excuse me sir I'll be right back with your drink." I managed to break free from the human octopus and headed for the bar. As I waited for the bartender to get his drink I watched the large screen television above the bar. It was playing live footage of the crowd. The crowd was going wild showing off and just being free. I remembered being _that girl_ …well, not so much the showing off but more the being free part. I knew I never would take my freedom for granted again.

After returning to Mr. Grubby hands and delivering his scotch I was rewarded with another swat on my ass and yet another wink.

"Thanks sweetie. I will be seeing you later... All of you." He turned and headed into the crowd. _Shocking that men like him are single. I mean what's sexier than being mauled by a drunken idiot?_

I went back to work. On my way back from the second floor tables I noticed that Taylor was heading out a side door with Mike, his drug dealer. I recognized the guy from his many visits to James' house. Taylor had a very expensive coke habit. It wasn't something he even attempted to hide from me. Well at least I wouldn't have him breathing down my throat for a while. _Maybe he'll get high enough to leave me the hell alone for the rest of the night. _The bar was packed and it was difficult to make my way through the crowds. I had finally found an open spot near the restrooms to catch my breath when I felt a hand firmly grasp my arm.

"I've been looking all over for you my sweet. It's time we got to know each other a little better." _Fuck! It's that octopus man again_. He was trying to lead me to the nearest exit, which lead to the alley that I had last seen Taylor go with Mike. I certainly didn't want any trouble. The night had been going along so smoothly and it was nice for a change. I unsuccessfully tried to pull my arm back.

"Uh…I'm sure there are many other ladies out there that would love to get to know you better. I'm sorry but I am unavailable." I attempted to be respectful even though the asshole clearly didn't deserve it. I tried to rationalize with the jerk but it only seemed to make things worse. He started groping me and had the freaking nerve to put his hand on my ass. I could see the sweat glistening all over his forehead and his dark grey eyes were glassy and bloodshot "Come on, sweetie, stop trying to fight it. We are meant for each other. I can take you places you've only dreamed of. I have my own plane you know. Have you ever been to Paris?" _EW! Why the hell must I be magnet for trouble?_ _Is this guy serious right now?_ He was hurting my arm and even though he was clearly wrecked, his grip was very strong.

I was desperately trying to figure out what the hell to do next when I heard a very angry but familiar voice yell out "Let her go right fucking **now **or I'm gonna beat the shit out of you, Aro!".

_Holy shit! It's Edward! What the hell is he doing here?_ His eyes were on fire. His face was as hard as stone.

"Why don't you get your own piece of ass for the night Edward? I was just getting acquainted with this lovely young lady here." Octopus man slurred out while still looking me up and down like a fresh piece of meat. _Wait, does he know Edward?_ Before I could even blink Edward had ripped the guy's arm off of my ass. _Where the hell did he come from? Is he crazy?_ _If James knew he came here to see me he would be livid_. _Is he here to see me?_

"I swear to God Aro I will break your fucking arm!" Edward had the guy's arm twisted behind his back.

"Get off of me you fucking pretty boy! Why don't you go find one of your little pilot groupies? You spoiled little shit." Octoman was squirming around so much that I was finally able to break free of his tight grasp on my arm. It hurt like a freaking bitch._ How did Edward know I was working here tonight?_

I finally calmed my breathing enough to speak "Edward? What...? Please...let him go. I'm fine. It's okay." My words came out sounding like a scattered mess. It was fitting. _I really hope Alice hasn't talked her brother into following me around. That girl can be very persuasive. _

"No it's most definitely** NOT** okay Bella! This asshole owes you an apology." Edward was demanding that I be treated with respect. Honestly, I had become so used to being degraded the last three months that I had stopped respecting myself let alone expecting others to do so. I looked over at my angry bronze haired savior and I could tell by the look on Edward's face that this wasn't going to end pretty. He released Octoman's grubby arm and the guy spun around and got right up in Edward's face.

"I will do no such thing. She wanted it. Look at the way she's dressed one could assume she's nothing but a goddamn whore anyway." I knew the words of a drunken asshole should have meant absolutely nothing to me. Then why did it feel like I had been kicked in the gut? I looked down at my skimpy clothing and immediately felt like crawling under the nearest table.

Edward looked over at me and then he lunged for Octoman and started beating the crap out of him. I barely managed to get out of the way. He was slamming the guy's head against the wall and then pounding him so hard in his face that he knocked the jerk down to the ground. The next thing I knew Edward was being pulled off of Octoman and tossed aside.

"Edward, calm the fuck down! Do you think it would be wise for you to get arrested tonight?" It was Emmett and some other guy I never saw before. _What the hell is Emmett doing here? Now I'm really confused. Maybe Edward wasn't here to see me after all?_ Why did that thought make me unhappy? Maybe Emmett was here to stop him from seeing me. I had no clue. Everything was happening so fast. The mystery guy led Octoman away. How the hell did Edward know that jerks name anyway? I think he called him Aro?

"Are you seriously trying to fuck your life up? How many chances do you think dad can give you? You better get your shit together man. I'm not going to tell you this again. We're leaving. I'm going to get Rose_." Okay... so the whole Cullen clan is here tonight and Edward decides to risk his career over a drunken fool. I was so torn with my emotions. Part of me was so touched that Edward went out of his way again to help me and another part was so worried that he was going to suffer because of it. Why is he so damn reckless with his future? Doesn't he realize how much he has going for him?_ I wondered if Jasper and Alice were at the club also. _No, I doubt very much Jasper would ever step foot in this place again._ My mind was flashing with so many thoughts I was in overload.

"Are you alright, Bella?" Edward walked closer to me. I felt an instant pull to get even closer. I had to remember not to look directly into those eyes of his. That was my mistake last time. They were deadly. I wanted to let him know that it was not okay for him to risk his future over a drunken fool.

"Yes I'm fine. Your brother is right though. You really shouldn't have gotten involved Edward. It wasn't necessary." I needed to let him know no matter how much I appreciated him protecting me he couldn't make a habit out of risking himself to help me. I could never allow that.

"You think it's alright for a guy to put his hands on you like that?" _Oh for Christ sake why won't this stubborn man listen to a word I say? _I really didn't understand what his problem was._ Why was he acting like this? I mean he was out of control and being totally irrational over some sleazy guy at a bar. What would possibly cause him to get so upset over a guy groping me? It was almost like he was...Wait... could he have been...jealous? No that's a crazy thought Bella. Why on earth would Edward Cullen ever be jealous over you? Get real. It's not bad enough that he's your imaginary friend but now you're delusional as well. _

"Of course not that's not what I'm saying. It's not your responsibility to protect me, Edward. I don't want you to get into any trouble over me. Not again...you did enough for me already." I mean the guy didn't even know me and here it was the second time we meet and the second time he sticks his neck out to help me. He is either very kind or very crazy. Perhaps both. _Hmmm…something else we have in common._

"Listen to me Bella." His voice became soft and alluring. Then I did it. I made the mistake of looking up into those damn green eyes of his and I was lost. I tried to pull my eyes away from his and I just couldn't. I bit down on my lip to stop from gasping out loud at the beautiful man looking down at me with such emotion filled eyes. I was in my happy place. I wanted to feel his arms wrapped around me. I wanted to inhale his soothing scent and drown in his eyes until I couldn't remember who I was anymore.

"I know you don't want anyone to put themselves at risk to help you. But, could I ask why are you allowed to sacrifice so much and expect absolutely nothing from those that care for you? Are you that selfless?" _Did he just say those that _**care**_ for me? Does Edward care for me? _

_I felt my heart soar and then I felt my stomach drop simultaneously. Crap! If Edward cared about me that would put him in direct danger of getting hurt. That's what I always end up doing. I hurt the ones I love. I don't do it on purpose of course. But that point is irrelevant really. Everyone I have ever cared for had been hurt because of me._ I couldn't let that happen to him_._

I finally managed to pull my eyes away from his and looked down to collect my thoughts. My mind was so dazzled by this man I could barely remember where the hell I was. I had to find a way to get it through his thick freaking skull that he simply could not help me. It would only make a bigger mess if he even tried. I was desperate to get through to him. I looked up and couldn't help but to smile at him. Edward was just stunning. His green eyes were brightly shining down on me and when I looked closely I swear they seemed to sparkle and shimmer like diamonds. His thick bronze colored hair was quite disheveled but instead of looking sloppy it looked charmingly sexy. As my eyes roamed down to his perfect cherry red lips I felt my cheeks begin to blush from the sinful thoughts that crossed my mind.

I could feel myself grinning like a fool as I opened my mouth to speak "Why are you so determined to help me? It's totally insane you know. Do you have any idea what kind of man James is? He eats guys like you for breakfast. Believe me Edward, I really wish that we could have met under far better circumstances. But, I can't live my life on wishes. The reality is that it's just not possible for you to help me. Throwing yourself in the fire would just hurt me even more. For me to know that I was the cause of someone else's destruction would be more painful to me than anything James could do. Can't you understand that?" I had instinctively reached out and grabbed Edward's hand.

The touch of his hand instantly sent shivers down my spine. The effect this man had on me was really starting to freak me out. I had simply wanted to connect with him to let him know how much I appreciated his crazy desire to help me. I would never want him to think I was ungrateful. Whatever his reason for helping me may be. I got a wakeup call when I noticed Octoman's blood splattered across Edward's hand. W_ill there ever be a time when people don't get hurt over you Bella? _

Edward gently squeezed my hand "I understand. But, I don't agree. It's cowardly to say that no one can help you. You're basing that decision on fear. It's what James would want you to do. You are no coward, Bella. Don't play into him. He is feeding off of your kindness." Uh...Hell yeah I was basing my decision on fear! I had good reason to. What did Edward know about fear anyway? He had no idea how it felt to lose someone you loved. He ran his fingers through that gorgeous bronze head of hair and looked quite nervous about what he wanted to say next.

"How bad has the abuse been this past week?" Huh? I didn't expect that question. Had he actually thought about me this past week? I mean honestly I hadn't even dared to think that Edward would have given me a second thought after he left Alice's house that night. I was sure he would just chalk me up as one of his sister's oddball friends.

I quickly eyed the exit door to make sure Taylor was still outside before I spoke. "Shockingly, James has been avoiding me for some strange reason all week. I haven't asked him any questions. I was just glad to be left alone. James and Victoria left early this morning on a business trip they'll be back Sunday afternoon. He sent me here to work for him. Taylor is here to watch over me. But last I saw of him he was out in the alley with his dealer. The guy has a serious drug problem." I looked down at our intertwined hands.

Was it wrong of me to want even more? I wanted to wrap my arms around him and tell him to take me out of there and never look back. Unfortunately I knew that wasn't an option. Not to mention I had no idea if he was even interested in me in that way. I was probably some kind of good deed for this guy. Maybe he was just trying to pay it forward. I mean seriously a guy like Edward could have his pick of any woman he wanted. I would definitely not be at the top of any mans list with the freaking mess of a life I was living.

I was pulled away from my thoughts when I felt Edward's soft lips brush up against my ear "Bella, please come with me. I can protect you. I won't let James anywhere near you. I promise." His lips pulled away from my ear and his green eyes locked directly on mine. _Shit!_ He was giving me his puppy dog eyes. Even though just looking at him caused me to forget my own damn name...I would never forget the lives depending on my decision. Not even for Edward would I ever put my family in danger. I could see that he was a good person and that he really wanted to help me but he didn't understand how much depended on my making the right choices. It actually hurt me very badly to have to refuse him. Though I knew it was the right thing to do.

I could feel my eyes begging as I began to speak "Please stop it! Yes, you might be able to keep James away from _me_. But you can't keep him away from all the people I love. He knows exactly what would hurt me the most. I just can't put my loved ones in such danger. I'm not selfless Edward it's all my fault that James is in my life to begin with. I did this to myself. I have no one else to blame and I refuse to let anyone else pay the price for my mistake. That includes you." I was fighting to keep river of tears that were threatening to flood my eyes under control. Why couldn't he see what a horrible person I would be if I worried more about myself than my own family? I was so far from selfless it was ridiculous.

"Well, if it isn't another episode of _Poor little me_." Emmett was back with his strikingly beautiful wife. Rose was tall, blond and very intimidating and she was right I was pretty fucking pathetic. I would be the first to admit that... yet her remark still sliced me like a knife. I really wanted her to like me. I wondered why that was so important to me. Rose was looking at me as though I was nothing but trouble. She was protecting her family and I could definitely relate to that. If she could see me so clearly why couldn't Edward? I just didn't get it.

"Not now Rose. Stay out of this." He snapped at his sister in law and I felt even worse for being the cause of his hostility.

"Let's go Edward. I think you've caused enough trouble for one night." Emmett looked quite serious. His eyes were locked on his brother. He was ignoring me completely...odd how I had become used to people being rude to me. It hadn't even fazed me.

"What the fuck is wrong with the two of you? Bella is in serious fucking danger and all you two can do is stand around spitting out wise ass remarks and giving stern looks?" _UGH!_ I did an internal forehead slap. _There he goes again lashing out at his brother like a pit bull to defend me. Why is he doing this? What can I possibly say to get through to this man? _

"Listen brother, I have nothing against Bella. I'm sure she's a very nice person, but you just beat the shit out of Aro...one of dad's employees. How the hell is _that_ gonna help Bella in any way? You're not thinking straight man." WHAT?! Wait one freaking minute! _Octoman works for Edward's father!! He really must be crazy._ I couldn't just stand there quietly any longer and let Edward attack his family over me.

"Edward, please just go. Listen to your family. They know what's best for you." I abruptly withdrew my hand from his and he looked at me as though I had hurt him deeply. It was insane. He had to know that. I mean we didn't even know each other. Why on earth should he feel any responsibility towards me at all? Edward calmly looked at his brother and nodded his head. No more words were spoken. He simply turned and walked away.

Well… at least I **finally** got through to him. Even though he hated me, I knew it had to be that way. I tried to ignore the dull ache I felt at the thought of never seeing Edward again. _It's what's best for him _I quickly reminded myself._ James will never be able to hurt him now._ That thought helped me to breathe much easier.

* * *

**EPOV**

"I'm still unclear as to why you're here Mr. Cullen." Jacob Black was anything other than what I imagined a friend of Bella's to be. The guy was ridiculously tall and overly muscular. He had short jet black hair. My skin suddenly looked pasty white to me when compared to his much darker skin color. _I really need to get out in the sun more often. I look like I'm dead for __Christ_ _sake._

I was thinking of Bella and her delicate features. I just couldn't picture her standing beside him. I was reminded of Emmett, although Jake might even be in better shape than him. Not that I would ever admit that to my brother.

After seeing Bella at Breaking Dawn the previous night, I decided that I would seek out Jake on my own. I didn't give a shit what anyone said. I was gonna get Bella away from that asshole. I wanted to be introduced to Jake through a mutual acquaintance so I would have more credibility with him, but, that didn't fucking happen no thanks to Whitlock.

A quick Internet search gave me his address. I thought he would have been eager to confide in me after hearing the information I had on James and what he was doing to Bella. Unfortunately I thought wrong. I had shared with him everything I knew and I was still unable to get the guy to speak a word to me about Bella. I was losing my fucking patience.

"Okay, what the hell is the problem Jake? I know you're Bella's friend and that you're trying to help her get out of her contract with James. Why won't you meet me half way at least? Sit down and answer my questions." I was beyond exasperated. I couldn't understand why he was being so damn secretive. I had just told him everything I overheard when Bella confided in Alice and yet he still didn't believe I wanted to help her.

I gestured to him to sit down on the chair facing me in his living room. Frankly there weren't many other options. His home was what I would call a spartan place. Not many pieces of furniture, only the most necessary. I figured he didn't have many visitors.

I was glaring at him trying to persuade him to listen to me and start answering my questions. I guess my face must have been convincing because after a few seconds he sat down. I sighed in relief and hoped this would finally be the point where he would trust me and my intentions. I bowed my head in a silent thank you.

"Let's start all over again, OK? My name is Edward Cullen. Please call me Edward. I am a friend of Bella's and though I haven't known her very long, I would really like to help her. I overheard her mention your name while she was talking to my sister and I figure you are my best shot in getting the information I need. I would be very appreciative if you would cooperate with me?" My voice was on the edge of pleading. Although every instinct in my body was voting for beating the fucking answers I wanted out of him, just to be done with this, I knew better than to pick a fight with my only source… at the moment.

_I could_ _take this guy if I wanted to...I don't think Bella would be very happy with me if she found out I kicked Jake's ass in order to convince him to betray her trust. Or would she be happy that my fist was finally able to get some fucking answers for her? Uh...What am I thinking I 'm here to get information not to enter myself in a fucking strength contest with this guy. Get a grip Edward. It's not about your damn ego. It's about Bella. _I was pretty sure Bella would fume at the thought of Jake telling me her secrets or if she found out he helped me to get involved in her mess. Jake did know her better than I did and was maybe he thinking about this too.

I was distracted for a moment by the thought of Jake and Bella together. I haven't thought much of the fact that her best friend was a guy. _Aren't women supposed to have other women as best friends? So are they just friends? Did they date at any time?_ I felt a strange feeling creeping inside of me and I couldn't quite name it. Hmmm… jealousy? … No, why would I feel jealous over someone that's not mine? Perhaps it was sadness at the thought that Bella might not be available to me after all? _Is she in Love with him? Is __**he**__ in Love with her?_ I started looking at Jake with different eyes. Measuring him.

"Okay, _Edward_," he emphasized my name. "You already know who I am so let's cut to the chase. What exactly do you want to know?" I was about to open my mouth to ask him my first question, when he continued talking. "On second thought...It would be fair if you would give me the opportunity to ask you a few of my questions first. You do know at least something about me. Now I need to know a little about you."

"Fair enough. Please go ahead." I encouraged him.

"You told me how you came to know about Bella and her situation...However, I can't figure out why you want to help her. Why do you care?" He raised an eyebrow giving me a silent order to answer him.

Why did people keep asking me for my motives? I had always thought doing the right thing was much easier than committing mistakes. I was clearly fucking wrong. All anyone cared to know was why I wanted to help Bella.

"Listen Jake, I thought the fact that I have the same goal as you would be enough for you to help me. I am not going to sit here and explain myself to you. I saw Bella and what she is going through and I want to help her. That's about everything I think you need to know, right?"

"Wrong. You say all you want is to help her, but I learned long ago that no one is simply out to do a good deed...the question is: What's in it for you, Edward?" He said the words 'good deed' as if they were a curse, looking at me intently.

"What's in it for you Jake?" I countered. His face turned very angry and for a moment I thought he was going to throw me out of his home.

"I have known Bella since we were kids. She's my best friend and if she's in trouble I help her. There is nothing in it for me...nothing," he said through clenched teeth.

That uneasy feeling crept over me again. It appeared as if he were regretting the fact that there was nothing in it for him. I heard it in his voice but I decided to ignore it..for now.

"Bella and I may not have been friends since we were kids but I can see she needs friends right now. I would like to be a friend to her. I have no hidden agenda Jake. Bella is a close friend of my sister's and I know if Alice cares so deeply it's because Bella's worth it." I looked him in the eyes I wanted him to cut the shit. I was sick of fucking talking. All of this fucking around and nothing was getting accomplished. It was making my head spin. I knew I had a short fuse so I was trying to be patient with the guy but I had just about had all I could take.

"You are wasting both of our time right now. It's not about what I want or what you think. It's about Bella. She is currently under the control of a fucking psychopath. I'll ask you again. Please tell me what you know about James?" I could feel my eyes starting to burn.

He contemplated my words for a few seconds and then he finally fucking nodded in agreement before he sighed and started explaining to me what he knew. It wasn't much. Jasper was right when he said James was not a cheap wannabe gangster. James knew how to cover his fucking tracks that was for sure. The information Jake had on James was limited to legal information about his business. Even the facts he found out through a few of James' employees was clean.

There was one thing however that took me by surprise. New moon Fuel Corporation or NMFC as it was usually called in the industry was owned by James' mother Jane. I immediately remembered how often Eclipse Airlines had been approached by NMFC. They had great interest in becoming our fuel supplier. My father and I had refused several times to meet with them because we had a contract with another company which we intended to keep.

"Jane handles all the business at NMFC. She's a fierce businesswoman and incredibly intelligent. This might be interesting for you to know Edward...Not too long ago she began buying off every stake of Eclipse Airlines that she could get a hold of." Jake was very matter of fact about this. _What the fuck?_ The news really rattled me. _Why was this woman buying so many stakes of Eclipse? How many did she already own? Did my father know about this? Wait...Did Jasper fucking know about this? _My fingers were pinching the bridge of my nose and my eyes were half open as I struggled to keep my composure.

"Did you find out how much of Eclipse she owns?" I stood up and began to pace back and forth. I needed to clear my head.

"Well, she's been quite a busy bee...twenty percent of Eclipse is already hers. I understand your father owns sixty percent and forty percent is owned by shareholders?" It was a rhetorical question, because he went on talking without a pause. "That means she already owns half of the public shares. I was actually very curious to find out what she was up to, but it wasn't related to Bella in any way so I refrained." Jake leaned back and looked much more at ease than I was.

"You're right. It's not related to Bella in any way," I agreed with him. It was annoying me how he could sit there all fucking relaxed when his best friend was being fucking tortured by a god damn madman. I needed to give this guy a freaking clue. "It seems to me in the three months that Bella's been in James' clutches you haven't gotten very far at all. What is your next move?" I tried not to sound too angry which was getting harder to do the more he told me.

"Well... I have been trying for quite a while now to get one of my associates to rent Bella from James. I found out that asshole actually rents Bella out as if she were a god damn piece of property." His hands clenched into fists and he had a dark look in his eyes. _Well at least he's got some fire in him. I was starting to think this guy was a complete_ _fucking pussy._

"The bastard hasn't approved any of the men I sent to rent her. I guess he's more cautious than I thought. It's very difficult to gain his trust. If he doesn't know you he views you as a potential threat. He doesn't trust many people. I've been looking for some connection to get an associate to be introduced to James. But I haven't been successful yet."

"What do you mean 'some connection'?" I moved closer to his chair.

"I mean someone that's in the scene. Someone he knows. James will only rent Bella out to someone he trusts. Only someone he believes wouldn't run to the police if Bella were to spill her story to them. That god damn asshole never understood her. She would never break a contract she signed." I had a feeling Jake wasn't talking to me at that moment.

He shook his head and a pained expression appeared on his face. "No matter how much Bella despises James...she made a commitment and she would never go back on her word...even if the opportunity presented itself to her." I was afraid to interrupt his monologue, because I felt this was my chance to learn more about Bella.

"I told her she shouldn't trust him. Not when she dated him and definitely not when he offered her this contract. She never should have signed that damn contract. She just wouldn't listen to me. That girl is so damn thick headed. She's always been that way. That's just pure Bella. After Renee died...she just changed so much. She went from being a carefree young girl to a woman burdened with the weight of the world on her shoulders. Bella feels responsible for everyone she cares about. No matter how many times I tell her not to blame herself for…" Jake cut off his sentence abruptly and looked away. It was like he just remembered I was still listening to him. _What was he going to say?_

"Who's Renee? What is Bella blaming herself for? I desperately wanted to know what made her decide to go with James.

"Uh… well… Renee was Bella's mom. She was such a fun loving person. I can still picture Renee holding her stomach doubled over from laughing so hard at the silly impressions Bella would do of her teachers." Jake was smiling and looking almost past me.

"So then...What happened to her? Was she ill?" I was trying to snap Jake back into the present.

"No she was very healthy...Oh...ah... Bella didn't tell you any of this?" He looked at me suspiciously.

"Well the two times I've been around her there wasn't exactly time for much talk," I answered sarcastically. That was certainly the truth.

"Yeah I guess. I just don't want to air out any of her personal laundry. Bella's a very private person"_ Man...Do I have to dig everything out of this fucking guy?_ I raked my fingers through my already out of control mop of hair.

"Listen Jake I know you were listening to me when I told you that I had to lift Bella's beaten body off a fucking meat hook and cut her loose from a god damn web of ropes. I think her personal laundry has been more than aired to me already." I was losing my damn patience again. Why was he making this so fucking difficult?

Jake was now pacing back and forth in front of his window. When he finally stopped he turned to look at me "Bella had her drivers permit the day she turned sixteen. Her mother taught Bella how to drive since she was the easier going parent. Charlie always worried that Bella would get hurt. Her parents surprised Bella with her own car on the day she passed her road test. Well... actually it was a beaten up old truck. The thing was an eyesore but Bella didn't care She was just through the roof with excitement. Jumping up and down and screeching like a maniac. I saw the tears in her mother's eyes just knowing she made her daughter that happy. Charlie was still skeptical that the truck wasn't safe enough for his little girl to drive. He told me he wanted to wait until they could afford a safer vehicle for Bella. But Renee waved him off and said 'Charlie if you had your way you would have Bella in a plastic bubble.' He didn't disagree with his wife." Jake paused and took a deep breath.

"Bella had begged her father to let her drive her mother to the grocery store to pick up dinner. It was raining and her father was worried she was too inexperienced to handle the weather conditions. But Bella was as stubborn as always and she _almost _convinced her father to let her drive. I say almost because the only person I know more stubborn than Bella is Charlie. He refused her and told her it was for her own safety. So Renee drove instead. But as soon as they rounded the corner Bella talked her mother into switching places with her and she took the wheel…. They never made it to the grocery store. Bella hit a large puddle of water and hydroplaned. She couldn't regain control of the truck and went off the road and down into a ditch. The passenger side of her truck went straight into a tree. Her mother was pronounced dead on the scene." Jake's eyes were distant and glassy. He looked to me and said. "This is why Bella feels she is responsible for destroying her family. Charlie almost lost it after Renee's death. This is why she will do _anything_ to protect them and trust me she won't listen to a word anyone says. She is determined to keep her family safe." Jake sat down and let out a deep sigh. He was scratching his head.

"I know it probably seems insane to you that she signed that contract. But there is a part of me that honestly believes that when James tortures her she feels like she deserves it, because she endangered her family once again. It kills me to think that." Jake looked down for a few seconds before looking back up at me with a defeated look on his face.

"Edward, you've accused me of not achieving anything so far for Bella, but let me ask you what can I do without making Bella feel worse than she already does? I may be able to save Bella from James but I don't know who can save Bella from _herself_. She's determined to destroy herself over what she thinks is the right thing to do." A tear escaped Jake's eye and he quickly wiped it away with the back of his hand.

It was the first time I actually understood how Bella was thinking. She blamed herself for her mother's death and then brought James into her life and he threatened to destroy her family all over again. It didn't make any sense to me, because she wasn't responsible for either situation. The accident was fate...not Bella's fault and James...James was not something she meant to happen. How could she have known about his evil nature? I wished I could tell her all of this but I was sure Jacob already tried to convince her and failed. An idea started to form itself in my head. I knew I could do it, I could make Bella see it was never her fault.

"I have a plan, Jacob! Get ready we are going to visit the only person who can help Bella right now."

* * *

**Well, looks like Edward is finally using his brain...what do you think? You think he should work with Jake? Should we give you some more details about what is going on with James in the next Chapter or do you want to know what Edward has planned? If you tell us by Sunday what you wish to read in the next Chapter I will work on getting it into Chapter 7 :-)**

**Review so Chapter 7 can be out in time on Wednesday!!  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**MAN! Don't you just hate people who say one thing and do another? (Author drops to knees…head down…eyes to the floor) Beloved readers of MoD we are so sorry for the delay with this chapter. Please forgive us. We had some serious technical and RL issues going on around here. This whole pumping out a chapter each week is much more difficult than it originally appeared. **

**This is now the guts of our story and things will be really heating up. This chapter is all EPOV and again Edward makes some big changes. He just loves sharing himself with you and wanted me to make sure that you don't mind him hogging this whole chapter all to himself. Bella is so damn smitten with that green eyed charmer that she just gives him anything he asks for so it's pointless to ask her opinion.**

**I can't go any further without giving a loud shout out to rocking rocking reviewers..everyone of you (and you know who you are) you made our days by all your reviews. Ms. Marauder-Cullen your reviews are the reason I write every Chapter!!!**

**As always our world would end tragically without our masterful beta Happymess who just celebrated her 21****st**** birthday a few days ago …Happy Birthday HM! We sent her Domward for the night as a gift and he said she taught him a few moves he didn't even know were possible. That minx!**

**Now I think we've made you wait long enough for this... This Chapter is a bear at just about 13,500 words. You know how our Edward really loves to express himself to his beloved readers…He can't get enough of you and neither can we.**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT! THE STORY AND IT'S CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHENIE MEYER!**

**

* * *

  
**

**Chapter 7**

**EPOV**

I knew if anyone could help Jake establish a connection to James it would be my sister… the BDSM social butterfly herself. I bet there wasn't anyone in James' scene that didn't know and love Alice. Yeah, I realized Jasper would be more than pissed that I was getting my sister involved but if he'd helped me when I asked him to I wouldn't need to go to Alice. It was his own damn fault. Jasper should know me well enough by now that I wasn't gonna give up until I accomplished my goal. Besides I didn't think that fucker could care for my sister's safety more than me...I would never let anything happen to Alice. It's not like Alice would be in contact with James or anything I just wanted her to hook Jake up with someone James would trust.

I explained my plan to Jake and told him to follow me to my house. I called my sister and told her I needed her to come to my place without Jasper as soon as possible. She sounded more than a little curious and quickly agreed to meet me in an hour. A little less than an hour later my front door swung open and a gush of warm air swept through my foyer.

"What on earth is so urgent Edward? I was in the middle of picking out wedding favors when you called." Alice was talking before she even entered the room. As she rounded the corner to the kitchen she noticed Jake and stiffened a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry I didn't realize you had company. I'm Alice and you are?" she had her hand out to Jake and crumpled her nose in an inquisitive manner. Jake shook her hand and introduced himself to Alice.

"Ah, so you're the famous Jacob Black. Bella has spoken very highly of you. I didn't know you knew my brother…wait…Edward, what in heaven's name are you up to now?" She spun her face over to my direction.

"That's why I called you here so I could tell you exactly what I'm up to now. As Bella told you last weekend…Jake is trying to help her. But, he needs a connection to the scene and I know no one is as socially connected as you are. So I figured you could help Jake out." That was a simple enough request. Straight to the fucking point. This should finally go along smoothly.

"Okay...first off how did _you_ know Bella told me about Jacob?" She was squinting her eyes at me and I knew this look very well. _Shit! I'm screwed._

"Uh...Well..." I was scratching the back of my neck as I stood there trying to think of a way to make it not sound so sneaky. "When I came upstairs to apologize to Bella at your party I overheard her talking with you and I didn't think I should interrupt." Alice's eyes grew wide.

"You didn't think you should interrupt…yet you thought it would be perfectly fine to stand there and listen to our private conversation without us knowing about it? How could you do such a thing? Do you have any idea how long it took for me to gain Bella's trust? She rightfully has deep issues with trusting others and you have the nerve to stand here telling me you listened in on a conversation knowing Bella wouldn't have wanted you to hear it." She began pacing back and forth very quickly.

"You should be ashamed of yourself Edward Cullen! I can't even look at you right now!" My sister folded her arms and turned away from me with a huff. _Fuck! Now I've gone and pissed off the pixie. _

_"_Alice, listen I know it was wrong and I'm sorry. I fucked up. But, I didn't want to just walk away I needed to talk to Bella…and then when I heard the horrible story she was telling you I ...uh...I just couldn't pull myself away." I was pulling my hair out desperately trying to think of the right words to say.

"Look, I know I'm a total asshole for listening in on your conversation and I promise it will never happen again. For Bella's sake can we please discuss why I called you over here?" I walked around my sister to look at her. I hoped my face was showing how truly sorry I really was. I could tell she wanted to stay angry at me but after a few seconds the right corner of her mouth lifted into a distinctive smirk.

"Grrrr…You're very lucky mister that I happen to be quite fond of you or you would pay dearly for crossing me." She punched my arm...Hard. That shit fucking hurt. My sister may appear cute and bubbly most of the time, but trust me you don't want to fuck with her. You will lose….every time. I've learned that lesson the hard way.

"So…Jacob how did you know where Edward lives and why did you come to my brother and not me?" Alice grabbed an apple off of my counter and used her shirt to shine it before she took a bite.

"Oh good...I'm glad we're finally back to the issue at hand, I didn't find Edward at all. He found me." Jake replied in an impatient tone as he sat down on a stool in the center island.

Alice coughed a bit as she swallowed. "Edward, you went and found Jake and brought him to your house? Why?" Her hand dropped limp to her side.

"Well...Uh…after I saw Bella at Breaking Dawn last night I decided that I wanted to help her get away from that psychopath." I saw her mouth opening and I knew she was about to reprimand me for beating up Aro. Yeah...I knew Rose would have told her fucking everything by that time. I held up my hand to stop her before she could even blink.

"I will tell you about what happened, ok? Just not now please, and do not start asking me why I want to help Bella because that shit isn't important right now. Just let me know if you're willing to help or not?" I didn't want to turn this into another long drawn out conversation. I had no patience left for that shit anymore.

"Edward, Edward, Edward… Foolish brother of mine. I already know the reason why you want to help Bella. Of course I'm willing to help you guys save Bells from that evil prick."

I could only imagine what reason my sister's unique mind had come up with as to why I wanted to help Bella and I wasn't trying to find out. I was just glad she was willing to help without making me explain anything.

"Okay. That's great. One more thing though. You can't tell Jasper about any of this." I knew this may be a problem for her.

"Why not?" My sister's eyebrows were arched.

"Because I've tried to get help from him already and he turned me down quite adamantly." I was giving her my most serious look.

"**WHAT!?** I have been arguing with that blond haired mule about this all week. He knows how badly I want to get Bella away from James. He never told me he spoke to you about it." Alice was fuming. I could practically see smoke coming out of her ears.

"Look, I know you're mad at him but we have to be smart about this. If you let him know that you're angry with him it will pretty much mess up everything we're trying to accomplish here. He's just protecting you and wants to stay as far away from James as possible. He's doing what he thinks is right and so am I." Part of me understood where Jasper was coming from. But come on; he should know I would never fucking put my sister in any danger. I just needed her to help Jake indirectly. No big deal.

"So are you in or not?" I asked her. She looked at me with a gleam in her eyes.

"You know I am. So…what's the plan boys?" Jake raised his eyebrows and looked over to me. I think he had already realized he was no longer in charge of the situation. Alice was a force to be reckoned with and all others were just dust in the wind. Jake coughed before he spoke up.

"Well… I found out James rents out Bella to the people he trusts. I just need to get a connection to James so that my associate can go in and rent Bella. It's a pretty simple plan the hardest part has been establishing a connection to him. That goddamn guy is tough to get close to." Jake was shaking his head and showing his frustration a bit.

"Okay, so let me get this straight. Your plan is to have one of your associates enter the scene, front as a Dom, gain James' trust and rent Bella from him?" Alice was using her fingers to count off each event.

"Yep…That's pretty much the plan" Jake let out a big sigh.

"Hmm…" Alice was tapping her finger on the side of her face_. Oh fuck… she's brainstorming._ _Her mind works in strange and mysterious ways._

"Edward, are you quite sure you will be okay with having another man going there to get Bella? I mean, James will most likely want to make sure this person is capable of treating Bella as he deems acceptable. She could get hurt or harassed in the process. Wouldn't you prefer someone with more of a…. _personal _connection to her? You know to ensure Bella has a safe transition from James without yet another set of strange hands touching her?" Alice's eyes were sparkling at me in full force. _What is she getting at?_

"Of course I don't want Bella to get hurt in the transition. But what can I do to prevent it? Where are you going with this?" I could see that she had some sort of plan formed in her devious little mind.

"Well… I was just thinking that since you have already been introduced to James it would give you an advantage over a complete stranger...And then obviously there's also the fact that you're a natural born Dom. That will help matters as well." She took another bite of her apple and hopped on the stool next to Jake. _A natural born Dom? What the hell does she mean by that comment?_

"Wait…Are you saying what I think you're saying? You want **me **to pose as a Dom to get Bella from James?" _Was she serious? I have no clue how to be a fucking Dom._

"Yes that is precisely what I'm saying. Edward you know I have a sixth sense about these things. I've had a strong _feeling _from the moment I saw you and Bella together that you were going to help her get away from that psychotic monster. Do you really think I don't know who set the damned sprinklers off?" She smirked at me in her most Alice way before she continued.

"From the very moment I met Bella I had a strong sense of how you would feel about her and I knew I was right when I saw the way the way you were looking at her at my house. I've just been waiting for you to realize those feelings for yourself. I knew you would and I'm glad it didn't take you very long. I had faith in you. Now you must have faith in yourself. You can do it Edward. Please don't doubt yourself. Bella needs you too much for that." She folded her arms and I knew that meant she was solid in her belief. I raked my hands through my already fucked up hair.

"Alice you can't be serious? I don't understand...why me?" I was in the middle of the craziest conversation I'd ever had.

"Brother…" My sister softened her expression and gave me a warm smile.

"I can see how you care for Bella; do you honestly think you could handle the possibility of someone else touching her? From what I hear you beat the crap out of Aro last night for touching her ass for god's sake…far worse than that could happen at James' house." My sister looked me in the eyes with great intensity before she continued.

"James will smell a fraud a mile away and Bella would pay the consequences for it. If anyone can pull this off I know it will be you. Don't worry I've come up with a plan that will be quite convincing." She threw her apple in the garbage and washed her hands while I stood there stunned.

"James is having a get together Friday night at his house. That is one of the things Jasper and I argued about this week. I wanted to go in order to see Bella again but he stubbornly refused. I was planning to talk him into it but now if you're there I won't need to go."

Jake, who had been listening to our discussion silently the whole time, jumped up from his stool and clapped his hands together to get our attention.

"Hold on a minute Alice. This isn't some corny romance movie we're talking about where the prince swoops in and saves the princess. We're talking real life here. Edward, no offense man but I don't think you can pull this off."

_What the fuck?_ He was judging me and it really pissed me the hell off. I mean yeah he was probably fucking right but still how did he know I couldn't pull it off.

My sister had her hand on her hip and was giving Jake a sharp look.

"Jacob Black. If you think that I would ever jeopardize Bella's safety you are gravely mistaken buster. I can assure you that my plan is not based on some tawdry romantic fantasy. I would like to remind you that you have no connection to James without my help. Therefore, it would be wise for you to show a bit more respect towards me." Alice was glaring at Jake. He quickly sat back down on the stool_. _

_Damn my little sister is intimidating that big lug. This is fucking funny._ I was holding back a laugh as my sister looked my way.

"And you...Edward…you say you are so eager to help Bella. Well then stop standing around doubting yourself and let's get started. My question to you brother is…are **_you_** in?"

_Wait... how the hell did inviting my sister over to take part in **my** plan so quickly turn into me taking part in **her **plan? _

_She must be crazy...I mean I could never be a Dom. She knows how I feel about that shit. It makes me uncomfortable. I mean yeah I guess I can handle violence...I think I made that pretty clear after what happened at the club last night... but it's not a sexual thing to me. It doesn't fucking turn me on to hurt someone and I don't think I could pull off pretending that it does._

"Uh...Alice slow down a minute. All three of us are eager to help Bella I just want to make sure that whatever plan we follow is the safest one for her. She's suffered enough." I couldn't stand the thought of putting Bella through any additional fucking pain after what that asshole was already doing to her.

"I have some questions about your plan." I figured I should at least hear her out before I said no to her crazy idea.

"Shoot away big bro. What do you want to know?" Alice sat down on the stool next to Jake and started kicking her legs around on the sides of it like a little girl. That's the thing about my sister she could transform from a sweet little pixie into a ferocious creature and back in a split second.

"Okay. So according to your plan am I just gonna show up at James' house unexpected and alone?" I was leaning against my refrigerator with my arms crossed just trying to make sense of what my sister was saying.

"Alone? Don't be ridiculous silly boy. You'll be showing up with your sub of course."

Jake shook his head in confusion. "His sub? Is there something I don't know about? I thought Edward wasn't a real life Dom?" Jake was just as confused as I was.

"Alice have you been drinking? You know I don't have a sub." I pushed my body off the fridge and walked closer to my sister. I needed to hear this explanation loud and clear.

"Not right now you don't… but on Friday night you will…and not just any sub either." What the hell does she mean by that and why is she being so damn cryptic all of a sudden. This plan of hers was getting crazier by the fucking minute. I was pinching the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"Alice...please stop being so vague and tell us what the hell you're talking about. Who is this sub and why would she want to help us?" I didn't want to endanger anyone and I couldn't imagine why someone would want to get involved in this mess without knowing Bella.

"Simmer down Edwardo and I'll explain...I have a connection that has an excellent reputation for being an exemplar sub. She recently ended things with her Dom and let's just say I have a feeling that she would just love to spend the night at James' house. We won't tell her the real reason she's attending with you of course. I wouldn't trust her with that information. However, she can more than serve the purpose for credibility within the scene for you." Alice had a cocky smirk on her face and I wondered how long my sister had actually been thinking of this plan. I mean it seemed like she formed it awfully quick. I had to stop this insanity it was getting out of hand.

"Alright… I have to be honest with you…I don't think I can do this. You know how uncomfortable this shit makes me Alice. It really creeps me out. I mean I'm not afraid of violence or anything but I'm not into hurting people for sexual pleasure and it's kind of freaking me out to even be standing here discussing this shit with my fucking sister to begin with." I had to tell her the truth. She just shook her head at me and gave me a disappointed look.

"Okay…I know this is all new to you so I am trying very hard not to hold your ignorance against you. I will however ask that you stop being such a close minded ass. BDSM is **not** about hurting people Edward… it's about **trust and control**."Alice jumped up off of the stool and pointed her finger at me.

"Believe me I'm well aware of the fact that you think that people who practice BDSM are a bunch of kinky perverted freaks." Alice walked over to my refrigerator and opened the freezer. She took out a container of Ben and Jerry's Ice cream. _What the hell is she up to now? First she had an apple and now she wants Ice Cream? Is she pregnant or just really fucking hungry?_

"Let's see what flavor we have here. Ah…Vanilla…That's perfect. There's nothing wrong with vanilla ice cream I'm sure you would agree." She opened the top of the ice cream container and showed it to me.

"However… some people prefer something _more_ than that… something a bit _different_ from vanilla. Would that make these people freaks in your opinion Edward?" I knew immediately what she was getting at.

"Uh... NO...Of course it doesn't. I know what you're-" she held her hand up and cut me off before I could finish my sentence.

"**No**… it certainly does **not **make them freaks. Now, is there just one flavor other than vanilla out there to choose from? Hmm? No. There are many others and even within each flavor there are many variations sometimes even vanilla itself mixes in with other flavors."

She took a deep breath and let it out.

"Let's say we have a friend his name will be..." She looked at me and smirked. "Ted"

"Ted has never tasted any ice cream flavor other than Vanilla his whole life. There's nothing wrong with that at all. But, Ted has all sorts of negative presumptions and opinions about all the other flavors out there and the people that like them. He makes ignorant and hurtful comments about something he knows absolutely nothing about. Does that seem right to you?" Alice put the ice cream back in the freezer after she took a spoon full out of it then turned to look at me once again. Before I could even reply she continued on.

"Edward seriously I couldn't care less what type of sexual lifestyle you lead. As a matter of fact the less information I know about that the better as far as I am concerned. But, I just ask that you please stop being so close minded. You're not an ignorant man and I don't like to hear you speak that way. As I said before BDSM is all about **trust and control**…both for the Dom and the Sub. The reason I said that you were a natural born Dom is not because I think you enjoy hurting people you dork." She walked over to me and ruffled my hair.

"I said it because I know better than anyone what an important role trust plays in your life…in the man you are and of course there is no need for me to tell you how much you enjoy being in control, " she winked at me. "For example, as a pilot do you not ask your passengers to place their complete trust in you during their flight? For however long that plane is in the air you're their _master_ in a sense Edward. You're the Dominant for the entire flight. As their pilot you're in complete control in that situation and it makes you feel good, doesn't it? There is nothing wrong with a dominant and submissive relationship as long as all participants involved are consensual." I was fixing my hair back to the mess it was before she made it worse as she spoke on.

"I've watched you bang heads with dad my whole life and at the core of these arguments once again is **trust**. I watch as you purposely defy dad time and again because you are so angry that he doesn't trust you enough to make your own decisions with your life. Once again this shows how passionately you feel about people **submitting **their trust in you. I hope you will open that very intelligent brain of yours and think of what I've said. That's all I ask of you. If I can get one thing through that thick skull of yours in this conversation let it be that you will finally understand that BDSM is about so much more than hurting or punishing people. It's about so much more than sex. That's just a small part of it actually. I know most people are uncomfortable with the unknown. I get it; it's understandable. But Edward, if you want to help Bella like you say you do then you have to trust me on this. You can do it. I know you can."

Okay... first off I was never gonna look at fucking ice cream the same way again. But even though I didn't want to admit it that damn pixie made some good points. I fucking hated ignorant people. _Is that how I've sounded? Shit! I hope not._ I actually started seriously asking myself… A_m I willing to do this?_

_One week ago if someone told me that I would be standing in my kitchen considering a plan to attend a BDSM gathering… as a Dom… with a Sub… I would have told that person to shut their fucking mouth before I shut it for them. But now, now that I met **her **I knew there was no other choice. I would do this for her. I can't really think of anything I wouldn't do to get her away from that son of a bitch...and to know that she's safe._ It might sound crazy but I knew it was the truth. I always believed if you can't be honest with yourself then you're a fucking phony. I had no clue how to be a Dom or even if I was capable of it at all. My sister was right about her having a sixth sense though. Ever since we were kids Alice would always have these strange premonitions and she was always spot on. Every… fucking… time. It was kind of creepy at first but now my family was just used to it. So when Alice told me she had a _feeling _that I could pull it off my instinct immediately said to trust her.

"Alice. You are the only person I know that can take a complicated issue like BDSM and simplify it by using a fucking pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream." I laughed at the insanity of the statement I just made.

"Point taken though, sis. I promise I will think about what you've said to me." I meant it. Her speech really made me feel like an asshole.

"Why thank you Edward I'll take that as a compliment." Alice giggled before her face became serious.

"Alright boys. It's now or never. Are you in?" Alice looked to both Jake and I with a devilish grin.

"Well..." Jake was scratching his head.

"If Edward is willing to do this then I guess I'll go along with it as well. I just want to be kept informed on what transpires. I'll do anything I can to help Bella out." Jake shrugged his shoulders and then both he and Alice looked over to me.

I let out a deep sigh. I couldn't believe what I was about to say.

"Alright I'm in."

"Excellent!" Alice clasped her hands together. "There's no time to waste. Oh, and don't worry Edward. I'll design your playroom and have it ready before you know it." My sister skipped over to the refrigerator and got herself a bottle of water.

"I really don't think that will be necessary Alice. Once Bella gets here we won't need to act like we're a Dom and Sub anymore." What the hell was she thinking? I said I'd have an open mind... not convert to a BDSM lifestyle for Christ sake.

"You don't seriously think that James won't be checking up on you? Come on Edward we can't be sloppy about this." She shook her head at me like I was crazy.

Crap! She had a point even though I didn't like it. _Fuck! Now I have my sister creating a playroom in **my **house._ The scariest part of it all was that what she was saying actually made _sense _to me. It seemed like a logical thing for me to do, to have my sister create a BDSM playroom in my house_. That's just fucking sick Edward. What the hell is happening to you? I _was picturing a dark and gloomy room with all sorts of gadgets and contraptions that I would have no fucking clue what to do with and I certainly wasn't going to fucking ask my little sister that was for sure. _Well it's not like I'll be using them anyway. They'll just be there for show._

I was knocked out of my crazed thoughts by the sound of Jake's cell phone ringing. He looked down at the phone and excused himself from the room to answer the call. After about five minutes of listening to my sister telling me about her plans for the playroom Jake walked back into the kitchen looking a bit shaken up_. Shit! What now?_

"That was one of my contacts." Jake took a deep breath before he spoke again. "Apparently James has rented out Bella for the next three weeks to a man by the name of Ben Cheney. " I immediately felt a strong surge of panic.

"It's like that god damn bastard is one step ahead of us." Jake said as he placed his cell phone back in his pocket. I had an overwhelming urge to break something.

"That's **it**! I'm going over there right now and beating the fucking piss out of that freak ass motherfucker. How dare he rent Bella out like he fucking owns her!" I slammed my fists so hard down on my granite countertop the movement sent my sister's water bottle flying to the floor. I felt my temper rising out of control and was having a real hard time showing any form of restraint.

"Edward, calm down. I'm not happy about this either but my contact assures me that this guy Ben is not a sadist like James. He's a business associate of his. He has a collared sub by the name of Angela Weber. They were looking to have a sub to watch their scenes. If my informant is correct Bella won't actually be an active participant." I was so angry that I was having trouble breathing properly. My hands were tightly balled into fists at my sides. I could only think of one thing, getting revenge on that fucking psychopath. Once Bella was safe I would make sure that bastard paid for everything he did to her. _He'll be begging me for mercy and I'll thoroughly enjoy spitting in his face. _Alice quickly picked up her water bottle from the floor and turned to look at me.

"Brother. You have to get yourself together. Bella's in much better hands with this guy Ben than she is with James. Now we have three weeks for you to become more familiar with being a Dom. James actually did us a favor. We have some time to get you some training without having to worry about Bella being in the clutches of that madman. James has frequent parties at his house. By the time of his next party Bella will be back at his house and you'll have some training under your belt. You have to relax. You need to learn how to control your temper Edward. Don't let anger consume you."

_What the fuck!!! Relax...Calm down...Are they fucking crazy?! _Relaxing was not something I was capable of doing at that moment. I was just too far gone and I didn't know how to get control of myself. I felt like ripping both James and this guy Ben's throats out with my bare hands. I couldn't focus...I couldn't speak without yelling...I knew I wouldn't calm down until I broke something or hurt someone preferably that demented asshole. The only thing that was pacifying me was my twisted thoughts of torturing that psychotic fucker which were interrupted when I felt my sister's hand on my shoulder.

"Edward! I told you it was going to be alright. You do trust me, don't you?" My face was in my hands and I felt my breathing was heavy. I can only imagine what I looked like but I couldn't fucking help it. When I got this angry I had no self control. I heard Jake clear his throat and I looked up at him. I'm sure my expression was crazed.

"Alice is right Edward. This gives us a chance to have you receive some training before you go and meet with James. That will help you to feel more confident. An old friend of mine is one of the Dom's that I sent to James to try to rent Bella. That asshole rejected him. He said he didn't know of him. He viewed him as a threat. His name is Sam Uley. I can arrange for him to meet with you for some training. He has a collared Sub Emily his fiancée and he would not be willing to share her with you even for training purposes. He's a very possessive man. Perhaps Alice could have the sub she plans for you to bring to James' house attend the training sessions as well." Jake looked over to Alice.

"Great idea. I'll call Tanya and arrange it. "Everything was happening so fast. I was pumped up and ready to bust some skulls open. How could they stand there and be so god damn calm I didn't understand it. Jake had known Bella since he was a kid. I had known her for one week and the thought of someone hurting her just fucking destroyed me. Was I just crazy? What was going on with me?

I excused myself and slowly walked to my living room. I headed directly for my bar and poured myself a stiff drink. I needed something strong. Yes, this day called for whiskey. I could hear Jake and Alice in the kitchen finalizing plans as they chattered away on their cell phones presumably with Sam and Tanya. I sat in my living room drinking Johnny Walker Black just hoping to intoxicate myself until I was unconscious. I had put on one of my favorite songs to try and soothe the raging beast I was at that moment. As the melody of Clair de Lune floated through the air my hand was on my whiskey and my mind was on Bella. My head laid back against the soft cushion of the chair I was seated in. My legs stretched out before me. My eyes were closed. I was...sad. I felt it in my heart. It was quite painful actually. I was used to anger. Very used to fucking anger. Usually I was able to resolve my anger by telling someone off or getting into a fist fight but honestly I didn't think that would help much right now. I didn't know how to deal with these emotions. Quite frankly they were very foreign to me.

I was thinking of Bella's words when she told me she couldn't live her life on wishes. This made me curious as to what Bella wished for…what would make her happy? Whatever it may be I knew it was definitely not living as a slave to James. I had to set her free from him and make him pay for hurting her. I knew I had to be patient. I couldn't handle this situation as I normally would. I decided to take stock of myself. I quickly realized some of my personality traits really needed improving. It was obvious to all that knew me that I was hotheaded it didn't take very much for me to fly off the fucking handle. I'd been told quite often that I was stubborn. For some reason I had trouble accepting other people's point of view if it differed from my own. I knew at times I was selfish I went through life only concerned for my own well being and according to my sister I was a close minded and ignorant ass. I took a large swig of my whiskey and my thoughts returned to Bella. Of course they did; my thoughts always returned to Bella.

From the moment I laid eyes on her I've barely thought of much else. How could anyone want to hurt someone so...lovely? I never thought I would look at a woman the way I look at Bella. I've known beautiful women before. I've been intimate with women. Many women. Why was this woman so different from all the rest? I mean I knew how she made me feel. When she smiles at me -although I haven't seen her smile much- I swear my heart feels like it's gonna fucking beat right out of my chest. Those big brown eyes of hers seem to look straight into my soul and just consume me. Little things like the way her face turns a gorgeous shade of pink whenever she becomes flustered or how adorable she looks when she pulls her bottom lip through her teeth when she's nervous. These things drive me wild. Yeah, this girl could fucking own me and for some reason that shit didn't scare me. What scared me was thinking I wouldn't be able to protect her from that madman…and the thought of never getting the chance to know her. I must have drifted off for awhile because the next thing I knew I awoke to my sister covering me with a blanket and removing my drink from my hand.

"It's been a long day. I'm heading home. Jacob just left, he said to tell you he'll be in touch. Are you going to be okay if I go?" Alice was speaking so softly I could barely hear her.

"Uh…yeah I'm fine. Sorry I fell asleep. You should get home." I was rubbing the sleep away from my eyes as my sister sat down on the arm of my chair.

"Edward, honey**. **I know you're upset over Bella. I promise it won't be long before we get her away from that bastard. You just need to have a little patience okay?" She was talking to me as though I was a scared little kid. _Fuck! Is that how I'm acting? I need to get my shit together. It's not gonna help Bella if I'm sitting around whining like a fucking baby. _

"Yeah I know. I promise I'm gonna get my shit together. It's just hard for me sometimes to deal with my anger." I felt my face struggling to conceal the emotion that consumed my heart. I wasn't feeling just anger anymore. I was also feeling sadness. I honestly didn't know which was worse. My sister placed a light kiss on the top of my head and squeezed my shoulder.

"Don't be so hard on yourself my dear brother. You really are your own worst enemy you know. All that anger you have in there," she said, poking my chest. "It's all misplaced emotions. You're alot like me you _feel _things very strongly. It's quite powerful I know. You just have to learn how to channel those feelings in a more constructive way. It's actually not as difficult as you think. Get some rest now and I'll talk to you in the morning."

Ugh! There was that word again_. Feelings_. It kept coming up this past week. I felt like I was the star of some fucking girlie movie, sitting around talking about my feelings with my sister. But, I knew something had to change. I couldn't go on dealing with things by breaking shit and being out of control. I had to learn how to control my temper or else I was gonna really fuck things up for Bella and I couldn't stand the thought of that happening. I walked my sister to the front door and promised to call her in the morning.

I made an important decision before I fell asleep that night. If Alice and Jake were willing to put their trust in me to pull this shit off ...to go in there and convince James and all that know him that I was a Dom. Then I would do my best to deserve their trust. When I put my mind to something I always did it full force and I never accepted failure. No more sitting around doubting myself and crying like a punk ass bitch. _If I'm gonna learn to be a Dom I'm taking that shit seriously starting right fucking now._ Once the playroom was complete, my training would begin and believe it or not I was an eager student. As I laid in bed I made a promise to myself that I would learn how to be such a bad-ass Dom that even James himself would bow the fuck down to me. With that thought I was finally able to drift off to sleep.

* * *

It had been two days since Alice, Jake and I formed our plan. My crazy sister spent those days shopping for my playroom like there was no tomorrow. I seriously think she spent more money on the equipment for the playroom room than she spent on her last birthday party, which means it was a lot if you knew how Alice threw her parties. I had no interest in knowing how every tool worked, especially from my sister but still Alice kept showing me everything that she bought. I was just grateful she didn't try to explain what the actual purpose of each thing was. I guess she decided to leave that task to Sam.

As I watched the room being created I couldn't help but think of how much my house meant to me. My father had gifted it to me the previous year for my thirtieth birthday. It used to belong to his mother my grandma Cullen. I spent a lot of my time here when I was growing up. Watching Alice turn my guestroom into a BDSM playroom really made me realize the house would no longer be such an innocent place in my eyes.

I was snapped away from my thoughts when I felt Jake's eyes looking at me intently. We were standing in my kitchen waiting for Sam to arrive. Honestly, I was pretty fucking nervous. I didn't know what the hell to expect.

"When Sam arrives," Jake suddenly said, "don't stare at Emily. He really hates that a lot."

"Why would I stare at his fiancée?" _What the hell? Does he think I'm some kind of fucking pervert or something?_

"You'll see," was his ominous reply.

I didn't have to wait long. When the doorbell rang Jake went to get it. I stood there not knowing what the hell I should be doing. In order to keep myself occupied I started running my hand through my hair. I could hear them talking in the foyer for quite a while. I kept glancing at the clock and was getting angrier by the minute. What the hell was going on? What did they have to discuss alone? If it was about Bella then I wanted to fucken know about it. I was about to go find out what was going on when I noticed a huge man headed straight towards me.

Jake was really big but Sam was even bigger than him. His dark skin was shining like glass. He stretched out his enormous hand and shook mine. Behind Sam stood an attractive woman with dark hair. I tried not to stare at her for long, keeping Jake's previous warning in mind. I didn't see anything strange about this Emily… until she offered me her hand to shake. It was then that I saw a long, ugly looking scar on her arm. Jake shot me a warning look and I quickly let go of her hand.

"So, handsome, you wanna play Dom?" Sam's voice was deep and husky. _Handsome? What the hell? Is this dude hitting on me?_

"Uh...Excuse me? Did you just call me 'handsome'? Listen I don't know what you were expecting to happen here…but you should know I'm not into men like that. " Not that I had anything against gays or bi-sexuals. Live and let live had always been my motto. I just wanted to clear the air so there were no misunderstandings. _Who the hell knows what Jake told this guy to get him here to help us._ Sam's face showed no immediate expression. He was silent for a few seconds and then he let out a hearty laugh. It was almost creepy because I didn't really see anything funny about what I had just said to him.

"Look I call it like I see it. I bet those good looks of yours have helped you to get away with many things in your life huh? Are you so uptight that you can't accept a compliment from someone of your same sex without feeling the need to declare your sexuality? "He laughed again "I'm sure that you and my lovely fiancée Emily will be very happy to hear that I 'm not 'into men' either. Though If I were... you wouldn't be my type handsome. You're too damn pretty." He laughed even harder and Jake laughed right along with him. Even Emily cracked a small smile. Before I could respond he held his hand up and his whole demeanor became quite serious.

"Now if I recall correctly you asked me to 'excuse you'…I don't think that I will excuse you. If you make any mistakes under my command you can be sure I'll punish you. I'm not one to forgive; I much prefer discipline." His grin was devious.

"Punish _me_?" My voice was slightly higher than I wanted it to be. _What the fuck? What exactly did Jake tell this guy? _

"Why would you punish me? I'm not your sub."

"For the next few days you will be," he said as a matter of fact.

_Holy Shit! Is he fucking serious? _I looked at him and then to Jake, who was grinning like he just won the damn lottery.

"What the hell is going on? Are you fucking kidding me?!" I shouted.

"Watch it, handsome. I'll only let your poor behavior go for today since you don't know the rules but if you raise your voice in front of me again I** will **punish you… understood?" Wait! _Did that giant just say he would punish me?_ What the hell does that mean? His intense glaring made me really uncomfortable. I felt myself quickly starting to rage. _Where the hell does he get off calling me handsome anyway?_ _I'm so sick of people judging me by my appearance. I mean yeah ok...women tend to notice me but I'm tired of being labeled the "pretty boy" or "the rich kid" there's more to me than that._ But I wasn't about to whine to this dude about that shit. I needed to find out what the hell was going on.

"Would you care to explain what exactly you mean by all this bullshit you're spewing at me?" Come on… the guy had to realize he was acting insane.

"Language! There's a lady present and as far as I'm concerned you're expected to be a gentleman in her presence. I thought you asked for me to train you to be a Dom?" _This guy expects me to watch the way I speak in **MY** own goddamn home? First, I'm not allowed to shout my exasperation and now I can't even fucking curse?_ It all seemed so crazy to me. Where the hell did Jake get this crackpot from... a mental institution?

"Uh... technically Jake asked you to train me, but yeah you're right. I do need your help. Though I don't seem to remember having ever agreed to allow you to punish me." I knew I'd fucken remember something like that for sure. I quickly reminded myself that I promised I would give this my best shot. I thought of what Bella must be going through. I was sure that whatever this beast-man dished out to me would be nothing compared to what she's had to endure.

"You wanted me here which means we do it my way. Deal with it. I only know how to do it my way but I can guarantee you it always works. Let me tell you what I have in mind and you can decide whether you still want me to help or not." I nodded and stepped aside so they could take their seats. I guess Sam must have actually made a strong impression on me because although I seriously felt like screaming a colorful assortment of profanities in his face… I didn't. Instead I kept my voice low and I actually tried not to curse while speaking. Which was a very difficult thing for me to fucking do. When I was about to sit down Sam spoke again.

"I don't recall telling you to sit down, Edward." It was the first time he spoke my name since he arrived and his tone sent chills down my spine. Now I don't scare easily but the way Sam looked at me it was clear he was taking no shit from me. I kept chanting my resolution to stick to the plan in my head to keep myself from telling the beast-man before me that he was in my goddamn house and I could sit down whenever and wherever the fuck I wanted to.

"Excuse me?" I asked in my most controlled tone.

"I told you before I won't excuse you. Don't make me repeat myself... I don't like it. Do you need me to think of ways to train your memory? I'll tell you what… how about you just say 'Yes, Sir' to me… OK?" Before I could say anything he went on.

"You want to pose as a Dom; to help Bella. Now, becoming a Dom is not like going shopping and buying a new outfit to change your style. You either have the potential for it or you don't. I will train you my way and I expect you to follow me blindly... don't question me or my methods, because you're in my area of expertise. The purpose of you acting as my sub is for two very important reasons; first you can experience how a real Dom commands his sub and second every good Dom was a sub at one time. You have to understand for yourself what you will expect from your sub before you could ever ask for them to give you their trust." Sam loudly smacked his knee with his hand to affirm the importance of the statement he had just made. He moved his body forward to the edge of his seat.

"You were about protest because I asked you to remain standing but you didn't even try to think of a reason why I gave that command. I wanted you to keep a sharp mind, which you do better when you're less comfortable. I won't always explain to you why I gave you a certain order, because you should instinctively trust me. . What I'm doing is always with **your** best interest in mind. Here is your first lesson; a sub exists for their Master's pleasure. However, every decision a Master makes should always be in the best interest of their sub." _Huh? What the hell does that mean?_ My head was about to start spinning if he didn't start talking sense.

His speech really confused me. I didn't understand why he started giving me lessons on being the perfect Dom. I thought this was going to be more like training for a movie; he would show me some bad ass Dom moves and I could go to James' party and perform what I learned. I couldn't comprehend what he tried to tell me. How could a Master only have the best interest of his sub in mind if he was doing it to pleasure himself? It really made no sense to me.

"You look confused, Edward. You may speak freely but only if you remember to address me as 'Sir'. If you forget I will order your silence again and you won't get another chance to ask your questions. Oh...and it goes without saying that the same consequence applies if you speak rudely or use foul language. "

I took a deep breath. _This is it...my ultimate test. Could I do this? I promised myself just a few days ago to endure whatever was necessary to save Bella and now here was my chance to prove that they weren't just words._

"Yes, Sir," I whispered in a voice I barely recognized as my own. "I would like to ask you a few questions." As soon as I stopped speaking Jake broke out in a loud guffaw and Sam immediately followed. I frowned at them both and wanted nothing more than to fucking tear them each a new one. Instead I just clenched my fists tightly and took a few shallow breaths.

"May I ask what is so funny, _Sir_?" I somehow managed to conceal the rage that was starting to burn inside me. Oddly the tone of my voice sounded much calmer than I thought it would.

"Relax, handsome...it's OK. You can talk freely now… lesson's over," he winked at me. I felt my mouth drop open from shock. _Is this some kind of a weird dream?_

"What...?" I stuttered. Jake was working hard on composing himself. He looked at me with what I would describe as a look of approval. _Either I'm crazy or they've both lost their friggin minds? What does all this mean?_ I was pinching the bridge of my nose to fight off a headache at that point. Thankfully Jake started explaining what the hell was going on.

"Edward, did you actually think I would just _trust _you without making sure you'd do absolutely everything required of you to ensure Bella's safety?" Jake raised his eyebrow at me with a cocky smirk on his face. _That fucking shithead! Who the hell does he think he is?_

"That was a fucking test?" I all but screamed. I was fighting not to lose control. Usually this would be the point where my fists would start flying.

"I still would like to ask you to refrain from cursing. Emily is fond of good manners and I like to please my fiancée, "Sam said in an affectionate tone and wrapped his humongous arm around Emily. She gave a shy smile as she looked down into her lap. I just stood there in pure disbelief.

_What was going on with my life? It's been disaster after disaster ever since Alice's party. Somehow I stumbled into this insanity and I can't get the hell out of it now._ Though in all honesty, getting out of it was the last thing I wanted to do at that point. What I wanted the most was the chance to free Bella from that asshole. It was becoming harder and harder as the days went by for me to remain the Master of this Disaster.

Though I would be damned If I was gonna let Jacob fucking Black or that giant ogre laugh in my face like that ever again.

"Jake, you think that was funny? Listen, I'm not here to play games with you. I said I would do anything I could to help Bella but that doesn't mean I'm gonna take any shit from you." I was deadly calm. "And you, Sam, what about the **trust **you've been talking so much about? I blindly gave you my trust just so you could mock me a few seconds later. Is that how a real Dom acts? Jesus Christ! No wonder I don't believe in your lifestyle." My words stunned both of them into silence and in that moment I felt proud of myself. For once I solved a problem without losing control of my temper. Hmm…maybe_ I can change._

"Listen, Edward. You're right I shouldn't have laughed. I couldn't resist when Jake asked me to play along. Just because I'm a Dom doesn't mean I have no sense of humor." Sam gave me a friendly wink and pointed his monstrous finger at me "That is another important lesson for you to learn. Don't feel that you have to completely lose sight of who you are in order to be a Dom. With that being said, I do owe you an apology. You did trust me and my method and I misused that trust. Please don't base your opinion on the BDSM lifestyle on a silly test that Jake and I put you through. Let's start again. I'm Sam and it would be my pleasure to train you to become a Dom." He offered me his hand again and after a few seconds of hesitation, I shook it. His grip was so strong I wanted to check to see if my fingers were broken when he released my hand.

"I'm not sorry for testing you one bit," Jake blurted out. "Look at you, Edward. Just two days ago you wouldn't have even considered talking to Sam and me to tell us how you felt about our test in a rational manner. Today, you stayed calm instead of throwing punches and losing control." Jake stood up and continued "I'm also not sorry for making sure you would take care of my Bella."

_My Bella?! What the fuck does that mean? Is he trying to test me again?_

"Your Bella?" I asked while trying hard not to lose my newly found self control.

"Well yes, my _best friend _Bella." He laughed but it wasn't happy. "Listen, I 'm not going to venture into a discussion about who Bella belongs to right now, Cullen. I know you care for her and you should know that I do as well; but now is not the right time to settle this." He folded his arms and his eyes expressed a look of warning.

"I figured as much, Jake and you're right now is definitely not the time to settle this matter."Oh yeah, I understood from the very beginning that Jake wanted Bella to be more than his friend. I just didn't know what he meant to her.

"Let me tell you how we're going to do this," Sam stood and interrupted our little pissing contest. "Unfortunately we don't have enough time for you to learn how to be a sub of mine first before I train you to be a Dom. I think under these circumstances it's more important for you to feel confident with the sub you'll be attending James' party with. You need to learn how to gain complete control of your sub without any self doubt on your part. That is crucial. I do want you to call me Sir though and I expect you to follow any orders I give to you. It will help you to gain a basic familiarity with being a sub. Now, where is your sub?"

_Yeah, where the hell was my sub?_ Alice was late. She was supposed to have arrived quite awhile before then and I didn't know if the fact that she was late should worry me or not. Maybe this Tanya girl didn't agree to being my sub after all? She was a highly demanded sub plus she just ended a relationship.

"Honestly, I don't know," I replied. My mind was starting to race with thoughts wondering how I ever convinced myself that I could be a badass Dom. What the hell was I thinking?

"What's on your mind, handsome?" Sam asked me out of the blue.

Usually Alice was the only one able to read my facial expressions so I was a bit shocked that Sam noticed that I was worrying about something.

"It's just...I...Uh..." I started pacing so I could get out what I was trying to say without standing there stuttering like a fucking tool. "How can I do a BDSM scene with Bella or Tanya? I don't even know what a real scene is supposed to be like. I've only seen a pain scene commanded by a psychotic Dom." I decided to just cut to the chase and tell him what was going on in my mind. There was no time to play prude.

"I thought we already talked about this, Edward." Jake said.

"Wait, Jake." Sam looked at me with measuring eyes. "If you doubt yourself handsome, you won't be able to accomplish very much of anything let alone a scene."

"Well, it would help me to stop doubting myself if you would quit calling me 'handsome'." Although I was really angry my tone was still within the limits of being respectful.

"Perhaps I should have explained this to you before. My calling you handsome is an important aspect of your training because you need to be able to distinguish when I'm speaking to you as a Dom. I will call you Handsome when we're talking as friends."

His explanation was very simple though it actually made a lot of sense to me. I remembered my promise to my sister to keep an open mind. Instead of instantly being negative about something new and different I was actually taking the time to try and understand what Sam had just explained to me. I thought of how he had called me Edward before in his Dom tone of voice and I felt the frightening chills all over again. I wanted to be a bad ass Dom like that. Could I be? Wait... what the fuck was I thinking. _I don't want to be a real life Dom. I'm just pretending for Bella's sake. Get a grip Edward. I shook my head to clear my thoughts._

"I see," I remarked in a low voice.

"Now tell me something handsome, are you gonna need me to pamper your scrawny ass or are you gonna man up and do this the right way? You need to forget about what you saw James doing while we're training. Instead you need to focus on the feeling of control you're going to receive from your sub." His eyes reflected a mixture of confidence and authority that I couldn't help but to respect.

"We don't know what James might ask you to do. He might ask you to perform a scene right in front of him. You're gonna need to prepare for any scenario. I need you focused, Edward," Jake chimed in.

I was about to open my mouth to assure Jake and Sam that there was nothing wrong with my focus and that my worries were totally understandable when the door bell rang. I knew it must be Alice with Tanya and I stiffened.

_Get it together Edward you know what you're doing and Sam is right...enough with the fucking pampering. _I agreed to this and it was about time I start dealing with the control I ask for. I've always wished I had more self control and made wise decisions but I never thought my wishes would come true in this manner_. I guess that's why they always say 'be careful what you wish for.'_

I was about to take control over someone else's life and what was even more important was that this was going to lead me to Bella. I was going to become responsible for her. Any minute of self doubt that I allowed would not only bear consequences for me but for Bella as well. I've never cared very much about fucking consequences before because I've always believed I could deal with whatever life dished out to me. But I was damn sure that I wasn't going to let anything I did get Bella into more trouble. I took a deep breath and turned to Sam.

"This must be Alice with Tanya now. I appreciate your help but please keep in mind Tanya doesn't know why we're going to James' party. The official story is that I'm a new Dom and would like to have my coming out at this party. For some strange reason Tanya's a big fan of James' so don't make any remarks about him around her." When my sister told me that Tanya had an admiration for James I felt disgusted._ She must not realize what a psycho he actually is_.

Before I answered the door I had one more thing I needed to let Sam know. I looked him straight in the eyes to affirm my words.

"There's something that I'd like to address with you before I get the door. I will agree to follow your orders but I refuse to be trained for any sexual acts with my sub. But, I'm sure Jake has already told you this …what I'm sure Jake didn't tell you is what I'm about to say right now: My name is Edward Cullen and starting right now I am a Dom. I might not be a Dom by choice... I 'm doing it for _her. _I call no one Sir. I will listen to your orders but you will not dictate them to me. You can teach me how you want me to dominate Tanya and you can advise me as to my mistakes but only in private. If I want her to accept me as her Dom I can't be seen taking orders and calling you 'Sir' around her. That would only be an appropriate procedure if we were training alone. I'm ready to learn now and I don't need anyone pampering my _butt_. I 'm focused. I assure you there is no need to **worry **about _that_." I could sense that both he and Sam immediately understood what I had just expressed to them. I kept my gaze locked firmly on Sam as I waited for his reply. But it was Jake that responded instead.

"Then what should we **worry **about, Edward?" Jake asked this in what sounded like the form of an actual question and not a sarcastic remark. Sam nodded his head in silent allowance for me to go ahead and answer Jake's question. I didn't even need to think about it before I answered him.

"James...cause he's finally gonna meet his _Master._" I didn't wait for a response I turned and left the room to go open my front door.

My sister was accompanied by a very beautiful woman. She looked to be in her mid-twenties. Her strawberry blond hair was coming down in waves around her face and her green eyes were similar to mine which made her hair look more red than blond. I could instantly tell that Tanya was a woman that was very aware of the affect that she had on men. She stood there demanding attention in what mirrored a model's pose. I immediately didn't like her fucking arrogance. She was nothing like my Bella who didn't even recognize the powerful affect she had on me.

"Hi, Edward." My sister fluttered through the door. "This is Tanya. Tanya this is Edward my brother. He's the one I told you about." Tanya eyed me from head to toe before she spoke.

"Oh my, Alice...you never told me your brother was so _handsome_." She walked in and offered me her hand to shake.

"Why thank you Tanya." I took her offered hand and gestured for her to follow me into the kitchen. "This is Jake, a friend of mine and his friend Sam and Sam's fiancée Emily. Sam and Emily are both in the BDSM lifestyle. Sam, Emily this is my sister Alice and her friend Tanya."

"I believe we've met before..." Alice said to Emily with a warm smile.

"I'm sure we have you look very familiar to me. Maybe at one of the parties?" Emily shook Alice's hand only after she had looked at Sam for a split second but the motion didn't go unnoticed by me. I wasn't sure if anyone else saw it but I could have sworn that I saw Sam giving her permission by closing his eyes once. They were communicating silently and I was in awe of how well they were synchronized.

"I know you from last summer's theme party. You were wearing a wolf costume, right?" Tanya was eying Sam with a look of admiration. Her tone was somewhat flirtatious.

"Yes, you're right." Sam answered in a clipped 'no-nonsense tone.

"Sam is going to help me with your training, Tanya. I expect you to listen to him and follow whatever he asks you to do. During our training he will be present. I believe Alice told you how new I am to this lifestyle and there is still a lot I need to learn. Is there anything you want to ask?" I echoed Sam's tone and was looking very serious, which wasn't difficult in the situation I was in.

"Yes actually there's only one question I have for you. Why did your sister approach me and not you? I mean it's quite uncommon for a sister to find her brother a sub." She fucking had me there but I wasn't going to let her sense my hesitation. I had to think quickly so I was actually speaking before I really knew what the hell I was gonna say.

"Excellent question Tanya. There are two very good reasons for this. First, Alice has a connection to you and has told me that you're an experienced and highly recommended sub. You and my sister are practically friends, right?" She nodded her head. "Second, let's think about if this situation happened but not in the BDSM realm. If you were friends with my sister and I would have met you in say a cafe and had an interest in knowing you as a friend or otherwise it would have been perfectly acceptable for my sister to introduce us so why would I feel awkward about her introducing us now? Is it different merely because of the lifestyle we lead?" I had no fucking idea if she bought any of that. I was hoping she did.

Sam gave me a quick nod of approval. I felt better at once. My explanation sounded believable and logical. Even Tanya seemed to believe so. Suddenly it was funny to me how insecure and worried I was only minutes ago. I started to believe that Alice was right. Maybe I really did have it in me all along and I was feeling like if that was the case I was ready to embrace it. _For now...just while I need to save Bella._

"Well then, let's get started, shall we? Tanya, if you have no further questions we can move to my study to set the rules and limits. Sam, would you please accompany us?" I looked to Sam and I knew he liked that I was taking control of the situation and honestly so did I. I fucking loved it.

"Sure, Edward. Jake, would you please take Emily home." Sam wrapped his arms around Emily "I'll be home as soon as possible honey. Is there anything you need?" It was clear he was asking her as her fiancée and not her Dom.

"No thank you." Emily reached up to kiss Sam but he leaned back from her and I watched with curiosity what was going on.

"No thank you...what?" He sounded firm and demanding. No longer the lover but now the Master.

"No thank you, _Sir,_" she corrected hastily. When they started to kiss I turned to look at Alice. Her look was longing and far away. I wondered what she was thinking about. Maybe she was missing this lifestyle? But if that were true then why the hell would she have left it? When she noticed I was looking at her she quickly composed herself.

"I'm gonna get going, too. I'll see you tomorrow Edward." My sister hugged me and I kissed the top of her head before releasing her.

"Thank you, Alice," I said with a deep gratitude to my voice. She understood that I was not just thanking her for bringing Tanya but for her help in general.

"Anytime, Big C," she replied with a playful smirk on her face.

I snorted and ushered her to the door. Finally only me, Sam and Tanya were left in the kitchen. It was time for me to show this girl who was boss...or in this case Master.

"I expect you to call me 'Sir' from this moment forward Tanya. Now let's be done with your paperwork so we can start training today." _I'm more than fucking ready for this._ I was going to save Bella and nothing was gonna stop me.

* * *

The streets were filled with traffic in all directions. As I looked out of the window I thought of how each car had a destination and its own story to tell. I know I sure as hell did. I was on my way to James' Party with Tanya in the back of a limousine. I had told her to speak freely while at the party, because after all she wasn't my real sub. Just my excuse for the night and frankly I felt a twinge of guilt for using her like that. Once she opened her mouth to speak to me I wasn't so sure she really deserved my pity.

"Sir, why are you so interested in going to this party? Whoever you find there...I assure you that I can serve you much better!" She wrapped her long leg over my hips and was in the process of moving her hand up to my hair. I caught her hand midair.

"Don't forget yourself, Tanya. I may be a new Dom but that doesn't mean I won't punish you if you misbehave. "I admonished her in a serious voice. My Dom voice. I didn't even know I had a Dom voice until it suddenly appeared out of nowhere during my training. The training had been intensive. Sam taught me many things during those two weeks.

Tanya was becoming unbearably horny as the days went by. It wasn't the first time I had to stop her from crossing the limits. At the last minute I decided to give her a brief warning about James just in case she really was ill advised about that fucking psycho. I figured it was the very least I could do. "Tanya you should know that the man that is throwing this party is very dangerous. He's brutally cruel to his current sub and if you're smart you'll limit your contact with him tonight as well as in the future." There. She had been warned. Now my conscious was clear. Then I noticed the look on her face. She looked...amused?

"Forgive me Sir for disagreeing with you. However, I'm well aware of James' reputation in the community. He's a man that demands perfection and all lesser beings will suffer for their imperfections under his command. If his sub is being treated poorly perhaps she is just not worthy of a Master such as him." I had to calm my impulse to tell that bitch that she wasn't worthy to shine Bella's goddamn shoes. I mean I knew she didn't even know Bella. She didn't know how kind and caring she is. Yet she says she knew of James and she still condoned his behavior? _Is she fucking crazy?_ I had to control my temper because I really needed her to be my loyal sub for this party so I could save Bella. That was the most important thing to me and was the one thought on my mind as I decided to let her comment slide. Trust me it wasn't easy.

"I would advise you **not **to get into the habit of disagreeing with me Tanya. Is this how a sub such as yourself has gained an outstanding reputation? Did that type of behavior please your previous Master? I would think not." My voice had a cautionary tone to it. I wasn't acting. She was treading on thin fucking ice at that moment.

We reached James' house without speaking again. His home looked like a typical high society mansion. A grand gate leading you to an impressive house, set on a well lit path. We had to drive around a pond to reach the front door. We entered the house along with several other guests through the main entrance. The foyer was large enough to compete with the White House for Christ sake. As expected the house lacked any signs of warmth. It was like you could feel that madman's evil flowing in the air. Along the walls of the foyer were many doors. Was Bella behind one of those doors? I was desperate to see her. Having to wait for three fucking weeks was just torture. I felt confident that with the condensed but thorough training I had received from Sam I was well prepared. I would need to control my emotions and remain cool. I had to for Bella's sake.

I remained focused on my goal. I followed the crowd through a large set of double doors. I was baffled by how much this place resembled an establishment and not a home. I was certainly no stranger to large homes. The size of my parent's house rivaled this one. Yet my mother still managed to give her home a cozy feeling. It was as if James designed his home to be used for play parties...with pain as the main event. Many of his guests seemed much wilder than those I'd seen at my sister's party. I had no doubt that behind many of those doors were people enjoying sex in strange beds.

_Well, look who's talking now...You're no longer in a position to judge anyone, Edward. You're one of them now. _The strangest reaction I had to this thought was the fact that it didn't bother me. Yes, I was one of _them _now, but I didn't mind, because I was on Bella's side so it was the right choice for me. I kept myself in the frame of mind Sam had expertly put me in. I wanted control and here was my chance to prove I was worth having it. I was determined to do the right thing.

Tanya started to look around as if she was searching for someone specific. Maybe she was looking for James. Who the fuck cared what the hell was running through her odd little mind. From the minute I found out about her adoration for James or I should say for his money and status I couldn't really find it in me to regret using her for my purposes. During one of our late night talks to keep her from her usual attempts of seducing me she actually admitted what she found so enticing about that fucking psycho. She said he had enough money to keep a girl comfortable and enough power to keep her satisfied. At the time I decided not to warn her about his evil ways because I didn't want to tell her too much. For some reason my conscious got the better of me in the limo. I should have known better than to think that gold digger would have heed my warning._ Not my problem. _

I entered a spacious room. It reminded me a bit of James' club Breaking Dawn...of course with a BDSM edge to it. There were small tables and chairs spread around and even couches mixed in. There were flat screen televisions playing what looked like BDSM DVDs. The room was filled with people in very erotic attire. Some of the guests wore actual fucking collars and were literally chained to their Masters.

_He better not have a collar on Bella or he will seriously be testing my self control._ I took a few deep breaths and calmed myself. It wasn't until I had made my way to the bar that I had a real opportunity to do a full scan of the room. So far I hadn't recognized anyone. I suddenly heard someone yell "Watch where you're going you clumsy bitch!" The man was wearing black leather pants and a matching vest. To me the man was irrelevant it was who he had just screamed at that caught my breath. It was Bella. She had tripped on something apparently and bumped into him causing him to spill his drink all over his leather outfit and he wasn't very happy about it. Bella quickly apologized and excused herself to get a towel to clean up the spill. She hadn't seen me. My entire being felt incredible relief that she was there and from what I could tell for the most part she was unharmed. Now I had an increased drive to carry out my part of the plan. Where the hell was that fucker hiding?

I was scanning the area for James for several minutes when suddenly my eyes caught a glimpse of a very familiar blond head of hair. I focused on making out the face and almost gasped out loud when I realized who it was...Jasper. _What the hell is he fucking doing here?_

_

* * *

_**I know there are still some mistakes in this..how do I know..I read it again while at work but didn't get a chance to correct it and honestly its either posting right now or tomorrow..and I figured you would rather have a Chapter with some mistakes in it than wait till tomorrow. I promise to make it right :-)**

**It's the Birth of Domward. YAY! He's getting there. He had some major changes to make in a very short period of time.**

**What do you think Jasper is doing at James' party? Can Edward handle the situation without using his fists? Do you want Domward in full force next chapter or do you want him to ease into his new role slowly?**

**Should Edward tell you more about what went on during his training with Sam & Tanya?**

**We really do take your thoughts and opinions into consideration as we weave this tale. Our mind reading skills suck big time so you have to tell us you're what you're thinking. It's so darn primitive we know. **

**Now…since we like to give just as much as we like to receive we have story recommendations for you guys. We can't be greedy anymore…We need to share these freaking awesome stories with the best readers in the world. **

**Closer ****by ****Teambella23 an intense and beautiful love story!**

**Closer has a KICK ASS sequel called ****California waiting!**

**Another absolute MUST read is… **

**Through his eyes**** by ****its-rpattz-baby**

**We have to give some love to our Twitter tweeps thanks for finding us we're up to 31 followers now... **

**Come join the fun and you too can talk about frozen bananas and hairy man salsas. **

**Follow us tropicaltherani**

**Okay guys we promise to try and produce for you the next chapter as fast as is humanly possible…Seriously we love posting the chapters just as much as we love writing them. Next chapter just may have a lemony delight for you if you give us your forgiveness for the delay on this one …hmmm... Come on you know you want to...I can see the edges of your lips starting to turn up into a smile . . . Ahhh...There it is. I knew it. You still love us don't you?**

**Show us how much you love us and please ****click that adorable little green button below**** and tell us what's on your mind. **


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Okay here we are with a **very** crucial chapter for you. We had to split up what we had originally planned for this chapter into two chapters. There is so much going on in this crazy little tale right now. We don't want to rush through any of it.

There's no time to waste Edward and Bella have been dying to talk to their amazing readers. Thanks so much for the support. It really means so much to us.

Big love to our beta HappyMess who is practically perfect in every way.

DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT! THE STORY AND ITS CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHeNIE MEYER!

* * *

Chapter 8

**EPOV**

Why the hell would Jasper forbid Alice to come to James' party and then attend behind her back? _That bastard didn't tell me he was coming here._ _He knew how desperate I was to help Bella._ It appeared very underhanded and sneaky to me. Yet I myself was there as part of a plan formed with his fiancée behind his back. _Oh, the webs we weave._

Usually I would have allowed these thoughts to manifest into an uncontrollable outburst that almost always ended with me hitting someone. I knew that couldn't happen tonight; not if I wanted to help Bella. I needed to be smart about this. The first thing I did was to advise Tanya that she was no longer permitted to speak freely; she was to only speak with my permission. This was a precaution. If Jasper began to question her, who knew what would come out of her mouth. I wasn't willing to take any chances. I had to be in complete control of any conversation she might have had with him.

I started walking through the crowd in Jasper's direction with Tanya following close behind me. Within seconds I noticed Jasper was talking to someone…James.

_Fucking Jazz…_w_hat the hell is that bastard up to? _They appeared to be deep in a private conversation. I stopped directly behind Jasper and cleared my throat to call attention to myself. I watched as Jasper turned his head. Both sets of eyes were now focused directly on me.

"Evening," I nodded to James. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything of importance?" I looked from James to Jasper. The expression on Jasper's face was priceless. I'd never seen him look so shocked. _I guess Alice hadn't told him about our plan._ James eyed me cautiously. I could almost see the wheels spinning in his psychotic mind.

"Mr. Cullen, to what do I owe this honor?" His eyes were locked on mine intently; He was trying to intimidate me. _Not gonna happen._

"Please, call me Edward." I was holding his gaze. Showing no fear. We stood like that for several moments just sizing each other up, no words spoken. It was Jasper's voice that broke our predatory standoff.

"Edward, what are you doing here?" He spoke slow and steady. If you listened carefully you could almost hear his Austrian accent. That was when you knew he was really pissed. Jasper and I had been friends for so long I could practically read his mind. He was furious with me.

"One could ask the same of you." I replied, showing no emotion. I stood up straight, preparing to deliver the words I planned to say in this moment. Except I didn't expect I'd be saying them to fucking Jasper.

"But...if you must know, after watching James in action at your good-bye party I realized how powerful a Dom can actually be. I decided to explore that side of myself. The countless women I've bedded in the past have bored me to no end with their need for love and their incessant talk of feelings." I looked down for a few moments before looking back up at Jasper .

"I've discovered that the BDSM lifestyle suits my needs quite well. Do _**I**_need to tell **you **how intoxicating the thought of holding such power is to me?" I felt my lip curling up into a cocky smirk.

"So after researching the lifestyle on my own I made a decision to begin training as a Dom. I find the fact that I adjusted so well in such a short period of time to be proof enough that this is something that actually comes quite natural to me." By the expression on his face I could see Jasper wasn't buying my little speech; I didn't really expect him to. It was James that I needed to convince, not Jasper.

I fought the urge to run my hands through my hair, a nervous habit of mine and I certainly didn't want to appear insecure or weak in any way. I didn't even give Jasper time to respond before I turned my attention to James.

"I've decided to make my entrance into the scene somewhere prominent and influential. I have no desire to be associated with inferior gatherings. I'm sure you of all people could understand this." I heard Jasper snicker.

"You must be fucking kidding me, Edward. **You** of **All** people are going to stand there and tell me that you feel you belong in this lifestyle?" He huffed. "Please. Don't insult my intelligence." He had that cocky look on his face that always annoyed the shit out of me.

"Oh, I'm quite serious. I assure you that you'll not find a Dom more devoted to their training than I. Initially I misunderstood what the lifestyle entailed." I couldn't help but to smirk back at that cocky bastard.

"Unlike you Jasper, I won't turn my back on the community the first chance I get." I looked over to James.

"I realize I'm new to the scene. I've brought a sub with me tonight that I've been using for training purposes. I hope we're welcome here?" I looked to Tanya. She had her eyes down and looked demure. _At least something was going as planned for Christ sake. _James eyed Tanya curiously while speaking to me.

"Well… Edward it appears you've gotten off to quite a good start." His eyes lingered on Tanya's face. Her eyes remained on the floor. He ran his eyes up and down Tanya's body and then looked back to me.

"Yes, you're welcome here. I look forward to your presence in this community." He looked from me to Jasper. "It's unfortunate that your good friend Jasper is not nearly as supportive as I." he shook his head.

"Really Whitlock have you gone that soft so soon? You can't comprehend why such a powerful man would be attracted to a BDSM lifestyle?" James let out a sinister laugh and Jasper rolled his eyes.

"I'm not surprised that you misunderstood the lifestyle with a powder puff Dom like Jasper representing it for you." James grinned wickedly and smacked Jasper on his back. If looks could kill James would be a dead man. Jasper was shooting daggers at him.

"You think **I'm** a powder puff? Just wait until you see that pretty boy try to control his sub. Then we'll see who the powder puff is." Jasper's eyes were on fire. His gaze darted over to me.

"Edward, don't let me steal your thunder. After all this must be a big night for you. We shouldn't be talking about me now, should we? " He rested his fist under his chin in contemplation. He looked over to Tanya who hadn't moved an inch.

"Tanya Denali, what a pleasant surprise. I'd heard you ended your arrangement with Caius. Edward must be quite the prodigal Dom to snag a renowned sub such as yourself for his training. Have you been well?" Tanya did not respond.

"Tanya may only speak upon my command. Which I have not given." I shot him a look of warning. Jasper let out a sharp chuckle.

"Oh come on Cullen. You and I both know you could never lay a hand on a woman… sub or not." I felt my blood boiling and I knew that was exactly the reaction Jazz was trying to illicit from me. He wanted me to lose my cool. I wasn't going to give him what he wanted.

"Tough words coming from a kept man. Seriously Jasper, you're nothing but my sister's little bitch." _I could see on his face that my words stung him. _

"Really? Hmmm…" Jasper walked over to Tanya and lifted her chin up so they were face to face.

"You will look at me when I speak to you." Jasper demanded in a tone I haven't heard him use in all the years I've known him. _What the hell is that bastard doing?_

"Now…answer my question. Have you been well?" His voice was chilling. It reminded me of the tone Sam used when he had reprimanded me. Jasper was commanding my freakin' sub right in front of James to show my inferiority. Fuck! I never thought he would turn on me like that.

Tanya was frozen in place. Her bright green eyes locked on Jasper's penetrating gaze. I wanted to step in and tell him to back the fuck off my sub. But I knew he was testing her loyalty to me. I should be confident enough to allow her to prove her devotion to her master.

"Speak," Jasper commanded. He was holding her chin up to meet his fiery eyes. Tanya was silent for several seconds.

"When I give you a command you **WILL** submit to me. Do I make myself clear?"

Her eyes were still locked on his. She was still for several seconds before she slowly nodded her head in acknowledgement.

"Now… I know you're a good sub. There's no need to prove yourself to any of us. Edward is not even a fully trained Dom at this point. However**, I** am… and I believe I have asked you a question. You will answer it. There should be no need for me to repeat myself. But since I know you're a worthy sub I will make an exception for you." Jasper brushed his hand lightly across Tanya's cheek and paused before speaking again.

"Have. You. Been. Well?" He emphasized each word forcefully. His lips formed an eerie smile. I'd never seen him like this before.

He was overpowering Tanya and I could see she was quickly losing her resolve. Just as I was about to command Tanya to remain silent I heard a faint murmur escape from her lips into Jasper's waiting face.

"Yes." Was all she said and it was all that needed to be said. That one little word spoke volumes. Jasper released his grip on her chin and she immediately dropped her head. The bastard was gloating knowing he had just thrown down the gauntlet. _Well played Whitlock. But I'm not going down without a fight._

I brought my hands together and created three loud claps.

"Well done. Your little performance has earned Tanya a punishment. I assume that was your intent?" I kept the anger out of my voice as I had been trained to do. My tone was authoritative and commanding.

"Really Jasper, are you that hard up for watching a scene that you've now stooped to provoking subs?" I let out a long sigh and shook my head. I looked over to Tanya. She had her eyes to the floor.

"To say you have displeased me would be an understatement." I knew I couldn't allow her defiance to go unpunished. Not in front of James. To be honest now that I was in training and was gaining an understanding and respect for the BDSM rules, I wouldn't have let Tanya's defiance go unpunished even without James being present. I couldn't deliver her punishment in the party room though. I needed the use of a playroom. I looked over to James.

"I'd rather not wait to reprimand my sub for her poor behavior. I would appreciate permission to make use of your playroom. " If Jasper wanted to play this game with me I certainly wasn't going to back the fuck down.

"Agreed. No need to put off the inevitable now is there." James replied.

I looked over to Jasper and that smug bastard was still smirking at me.

"Follow me." James turned to lead us to his playroom. Just as we were about to exit the party room a rather large figure blocked the way.

"Hey man, I've been looking for you." It was that jerk in the leather outfit that was yelling at Bella earlier.

"Would you tell that clumsy ass sub of yours to stay the hell out of my way? The bitch walked right into me. I spilled my goddamn drink all over my clothes! This fuckin' leather isn't cheap ya know." James stopped short and looked at the man with an icy stare.

"I'll take care of it," was all he said.

We continued to follow him into the hallway. He unhooked his phone from its clip on his belt. It was one of those Motorola two way talk phones. He sent out a page. I assumed it was either Eric or Taylor's voice that responded.

"Bring her to me. The playroom." He fastened the phone back onto his belt clip and walked on. Jasper looked to me with fear in his eyes.

_Oh __**now**__ that fucker is gonna act like he's concerned for Bella!_ I couldn't even look at him. Screw Tanya. I'd rather punish Jasper's fucking ass in that playroom.

After following James down a long corridor we came upon a sizable doorway. There was a keypad on the left side of the door. We watched as James quickly entered a code onto the keypad. There was a loud buzz sound. James pushed open the thick metal door for us to enter. I expected to find a playroom similar to Jasper's or mine.

But the room I was standing in was nothing like anything I'd ever seen before.

The walls and ceiling were painted black. There were all sorts of strange looking devices scattered around. In the center of the room there was a large wooden bench with chains and buckles hanging from it. It had a huge wooden cross as a headboard with buckles hanging down from that as well. The only lighting in the room were long fluorescent bulbs that ran along the sides of the walls.

I had to push thoughts of Bella being in this room with that madman out of my mind to keep myself from ripping him apart with my bare hands. I knew I couldn't go into this punishment so angry. I remembered the wise words that Sam had shared with me during my training.

_Never punish a sub in anger, Edward. Discipline should not be an act of rage. Trust me when I tell you that you'd regret it deeply if you ever lost control during a punishment. _I immediately thought of Emily but I didn't dare ask Sam to confirm my suspicion. It was the sound of a sinister voice that snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Welcome to The Jungle." James called to me over his shoulder as he strutted across the room to an immense cabinet built into the wall.

"Name your poison, young Dom." The cabinet practically ran the entire length of the wall. It was filled with a vast assortment of floggers, whips, paddles and obscene looking leather and metal gags. I took a deep breath.

I was ready for this. More than fucking ready for this. I chose a flogger from the many he had to offer.

"Ah…The Black cat. Excellent choice." He was about to close the cabinet doors when I stopped him.

"Might I request the use of one other item? My sub obviously has trouble knowing when to keep her mouth closed. I think perhaps a ball gag would help to remind her of why she's here." A large smile spread across James' face. He was gleeful. This man was truly a sadist. Just the thought of causing someone discomfort or pain made him ecstatic.

I was about to punish Tanya. Of course we had already established safe words and safe signals. I trusted that she would use them if need be. I also knew she trusted me not to push past her limits. Not that she had many limits. She would not be able to speak with the ball gag in her mouth so she would need to use our safe signals.

I ordered Tanya over to the bondage bench in the center of the room.

"Take your dress off." I spoke in a much deeper and darker tone. It was what I had come to know as my Dom voice. Tanya quickly stripped down to her bra and panties.

I put the ball gag on her.

"You will receive ten strokes for your defiance." I said as I brushed the long, black rubber tresses of the flogger down her back.

"On your knees." I commanded. Tanya dropped to her knees on the bench.

I wrapped my fingers around the handle of the flogger. I found myself eagerly anticipating the first stroke. There _was _something about completely dominating another person that called to me. Some level within me that I never knew existed seemed to have a hunger for this. Not so much of a sexual desire per say… It wasn't like I was standing there with a fucking hard on. BDSM was so much more complex than I had always thought. For me it felt like the fulfillment one would feel if given the ability to balance the universe on their hands. I felt empowered and humbled simultaneously. I was completely entranced in the moment.

The first stroke came down and Tanya let out a muffled moan. She was a masochist. She enjoyed the pain. I also knew she enjoyed having an audience. It wasn't exactly much of a punishment for her. It was apparent that she was stimulated after just the first stroke.

I ordered her silence. With each stroke Tanya's body responded with pleasure to the painful sensations I was giving her. It was actually quite fascinating. By the tenth stroke I knew her panties were completely soaked.

_Ah…I bet she's dripping wet and just aching for release. I do believe we_ _have a punishment after all._

Just as I was about to remove the gag from Tanya's mouth James was by my side.

"Nice start Edward. However, your sub has defied her master in **my** house. I take this as an act of disrespect towards me. I do not respond favorably to such behavior." He was devouring Tanya with his eyes. I looked over at Tanya and she looked euphoric.

_These two head cases belong together for Christ sake._

I heard Jasper clear his throat. I looked over to him and saw Bella standing in the doorway looking like she was about to faint from the shock of the disturbing scene before her. James laid his stone cold eyes on Bella's beautiful and very flushed face.

"Isabella, honestly if you're not walking into my guests you're gaping at them. Close your goddamn mouth right now and stop staring at Mr. Cullen."

**BPOV**

I snapped my mouth shut and pulled my eyes away from Edward quickly looking down to the floor. Not only did this keep James' freakin mouth shut for the moment but it also helped me to gather my thoughts…and I had many.

_What the hell is Edward doing here and why does he have a freakin flogger in his hand?! Who the hell is that half naked supermodel on her knees before him...and why do I feel like ripping her hair out? Oh and ah...what on earth is Jasper doing here looking...guilty?_

It felt just like I had walked into one of my nightmares. Edward was standing there next to James in the playroom. Apparently for some odd reason Edward had just flogged little Miss Perfect. Who seemed to be glowing. I had never seen a woman look so freaking happy in all my life. Edward looked to be having a pretty darn good time himself.

_Of course she looks happy you moron. If I had the chance to have Edward Cullen dominate me I'm quite sure I'd be glowing like that too. Wait...what the hell? Last I checked Edward was far from being a Dom and I'm certainly no sub. Not in the real world anyway._ In this crazy nightmare world I had no clue what was going on anymore.

Edward was standing there looking impeccable as always. He wore a crisp white shirt and a steel grey business suit. His bronze hair ruffled about his head. He stood in the center of the room as though he owned it. The man had such presence. Edward was the type of guy that women were instantly drawn to. Like moths to a flame, it was near impossible to keep your eyes off of him. He could render you speechless just by looking into your eyes. He just had that type of effect on people. Well... he had that type of effect on me anyway. I'd say it was a safe bet that many women reacted to him in that way.

Nothing was making any sense to me and it was really freaking me the hell out. I knew Edward hated James. He definitely wasn't into BDSM.

Jasper always went out of his way to steer clear of James at all costs. _So why would they be here tonight? _

I had endured heinous things since signing that damn contract. It really took alot to faze me. But this...THIS sure as hell did. I felt my hands begin to shake and my mind wouldn't stop racing with all of the various scenarios that could lead to the scene before me. I was ripped from my thoughts by the sound of James' dark tone in my ear.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He brushed my hair off of my shoulder. The feel of his ice cold fingers on my skin made my stomach turn.

"Have I not ordered you to keep your mangy hair up in a ponytail at all times?" He let out a deep sigh. "Honestly, Isabella, your lack of respect and your ungrateful attitude towards me is becoming quite old." I watched his boots walk to the center of the room.

"Clearly I deserve much better. I always knew you were of a limited intelligence. But even someone as generous to the small minded as I am has limits." _Oh Christ, here he goes again. Blah....blah..blah._ James was putting on a show. He just loved the attention. Almost as much as he loved demeaning me. His words didn't bother me; he was right I had absolutely no respect for him. Who could possibly respect a man like him?

He was a cruel and cold hearted bastard. He would never get an ounce of respect from me. He loved to belittle me but I knew how much it irked him that it didn't affect me. I honestly preferred him to dislike me. I can only imagine the type of person that would be in his good graces. Victoria's name came to mind and I shuddered at the thought; I could never be anything like that nasty bitch.

It was the melodic sound of Edward's voice that spoke next, "My thoughts precisely James. I find having a disrespectful sub to be quite disheartening. I have no patience for disloyalty. I've better ways to spend my time than to cater to an insubordinate sub." _What?!_ My ears heard the words but my mind couldn't process why he spoke them. Why was Edward acting as though he were a Dom? More importantly, why the hell was he acting as though he had anything in common with James? Clearly I was missing a huge piece to this puzzle.

"Yes, indeed." James replied. His tone was contemplative. He was silent for several moments before he spoke again.

"Eric, bring the subs to my office and have them wait for us there." Eric had been standing behind me. I felt his firm grip latch onto my arm "Let's go." I was briskly guided out of the playroom and down the hall to James' office and instructed to sit in a chair opposite the desk. _What in the world was James up to now?_

I let out a sigh. Was it possible that Edward had lied and was secretly a member of the BDSM community? I suppose it was a possibility, yet my heart just wouldn't believe that to be true. Was Edward here tonight to see me? To somehow help me? Could he be that crazy? I sighed again. Yes, I knew he could. I had assumed I 'd gotten through to him that night at the club. But maybe I underestimated him. I started to panic. Edward was going to get hurt because of me. I just knew it. James was ruthless. Why the hell would Jasper allow this? Had they all lost their freakin minds? I looked up and saw Eric in the doorway with little Miss Perfect on his arm. Of course he was handling her much more delicately than he handled me. She was still half naked. She sat in the chair next to me.

She crossed her long shapely legs and thanked Eric in a sultry voice. He was clearly smitten with her. I was waiting for the drool to spill out of his mouth and onto the top of my freakin head. It was obvious that she was well aware of the effect she had on him and she loved every minute of it. I rolled my eyes. I always hated snobby bitches like her. _What the hell is she doing here anyway?_

Eric managed to pull himself away from her when his phone buzzed and Taylor ordered him to go to the party room. I felt little Miss Perfect's eyes on me moments after the office door shut.

"So you must be James' wayward sub. How on earth did someone like_ you_ ever get a master like him?" It was almost as though she was asking that question more to herself than to me. She really couldn't be serious. Did this chick actually** envy** _me_? I found the thought so hysterical. I must have temporarily lost my mind because I started giggling. Uncontrollably. I couldn't stop. I was holding my stomach and resisting the urge to point at her as I laughed. It suddenly all seemed so funny to me. All of it. It was just insane.

"Oh I guess I'm just lucky." I was wiping the tears from my eyes. This whole conversation was just ludicrous. I was practically gasping for air from having laughed so hard. Little Miss Perfect was eying me like I was deranged. Perhaps I was. But it felt good to laugh. _I should be thanking her_.

"Edward should be very grateful that he has me instead of-" she looked me up and down "Uh...less appealing choices." _Wait... WHAT did that two bit whore just say to me?_

"Um...what do you mean Edward _has you_? Are you his girlfriend?" My heart had dropped. I was bracing for her answer. I mean it was inevitable that the man would have a girlfriend. But I REALLY didn't want it to be her.

She looked...confused. Little Miss Perfect brought her perfectly manicured fingers up to her throat.

"_Girlfriend_? Oh my. How cute. Are we in high school? Because that's the last time I used that term." _She_ was now laughing at_ me_ and I didn't find it funny at all.

_"_How ironic because the last time I smacked a smart ass bitch was in high school." I snapped back at her. I was not a violent person. I really wasn't. I've always been more of a caregiver. Yet, I found myself fighting off some rather disturbing images in my mind. Like perhaps grabbing the marble paperweight from James' desk and bashing her over her pretty little skull with it. _Shame on you Bella!_ When I had walked into the playroom earlier I noticed she had a ball gag in her mouth. I could totally see the benefit in that. _Pity it was removed_. I could feel myself grinning from my wicked thoughts as I cast my eyes her way.

Her mouth had dropped open effectively wiping the arrogant smirk right off her face.

"Touché." She arched her eyebrow at me, the fakest smile I've ever seen appeared on her face. Her pearly white teeth sparkling at me. She tilted her head slightly and put her hand on her hip. Her delicate black lace panties were all that separated her from the chair she sat on.

"My, what a feisty little thing you are_, Isabella."_ My name slowly rolled off her tongue. Her tone was full of sarcasm. Once again I had to fight the urge to bitch slap her. _What is happening to me? Why am I feeling so violent? Maybe all the time I'm spending with those psychos is getting to me. _

"Well...since you're so curious to know. Edward is my Dom. He may not be James, but he certainly knows how to keep his sub _satisfied._" she was beaming. "If you know what I mean."

Uh...no I really didn't know what she meant. Why the hell did Edward have a sub and more importantly how did he keep her satisfied? What would satisfy someone like her? Lord knows I haven't known satisfaction in...well...uh... **ever** really. _Man that's just plain sad Bella_. I had so many questions to ask the little prissy pot sitting next to me. But I didn't want her to become suspicious of my interest in Edward, so I tried to act indifferent.

Just as Tanya was about to speak again the office door swung open. There stood James looking victorious. Edward was standing directly behind him.

"Rise subs," He commanded. We both stood and dropped our heads down at once. Eyes cast to the floor.

"Tanya come with me." Edward demanded in a voice I almost didn't recognize. Ah, so that's her name. Tanya. Yeah, it fit her. It sounded snobby and bitchy. Where was Edward going with her? I heard the door close and James was by my side in an instant. _Why does he seem so smug_? It made me uneasy.

"Miss me?" He whispered in my ear. His ice cold breath chilled me to the bone.

"Of all the many subs I've ever encountered ...you, Isabella by **far** are the most ungrateful, whiny, disobedient of all." He lifted my chin up so our eyes met. I'm sure there was fire burning in mine. I was biting my tongue as always. I could practically taste the venom in my throat. He abruptly let go of my chin but I didn't drop my head.

"It seems that pansy ass Dom, Ben, has been much too soft on you." He let out a deep sigh "Consequently, I don't have the time or the desire to re-train you." He walked over to his desk and sat in the leather chair. He leaned back lifting his legs up to rest his large black boots on the desk

"Lucky for me, I won't have to. Mr. Cullen will be making use of you while he completes his training. His current sub is way out of his league. In order for him to experience complete dominance over another he must start off with a much lesser being. Honestly Isabella, I don't know of a lesser being than you." He threw me his trademark evil grin

I held back a gasp and bit the inside of my mouth. _Oh Edward, what the hell have you done? You're in too deep now._ I felt tears threatening to form in my eyes.

"Me being the brilliant man I am quickly recognized that a sub swap was the logical solution. If I had a heart I might actually feel bad for the guy. Giving up so much for so little. But we all must pay our dues in life." He brought his hands together intertwining his fingers and rested them on his chest.

"I expect you to be an obedient sub at all times. Eric will accompany you, since I simply cannot trust you not to mess this arrangement up. If I find out you have misbehaved or displeased your master in any way the ramifications will be so severe you will not recover. Do you understand what I'm telling you? You may speak." He brought his feet back down to the floor and sat up straight giving me a deadly glare. If I could have gulped without making things worse for myself I would have.

"Yes, master." I dropped my head. My heart hurt for Edward. Why did he feel so compelled to risk his life to save me? He was going to end up getting himself killed. James was not a man to play games with.

"Excellent. Now get your skanky ass out of my sight and go pack your pathetic belongings. You leave tonight."

I left the office in a daze. Reality struck me like a punch to the gut only seconds after shutting the door behind me. Edward was to be my Dom. I could only assume he had formed a plan with Jasper to get away from James. Unfortunately their plan backfired because Eric was coming along with us to serve as a live in spy. I was trying to process all of this when I heard the sound of Edward's voice coming from the conference room a few doors down from James' office.

"Are you sure this arrangement is acceptable for you Tanya? I will no longer be your master. You would be under the control of James. If we enter his office together it will confirm that we've agreed to his proposal. You may speak freely." I was literally standing with my back flat against the wall straining my ears to hear every word he said. Normally I would never invade someone's privacy in this way. But hey, desperate times called for desperate measures.

"Oh, I'm quite sure. Trust me, I won't have any trouble pleasing my new master. I've seen what I'm following and let's just say the bar isn't set very high." _Grrr..._Why was it every time that tramp opened her mouth I wanted to bitch slap her?

"Alright then it seems we've come to a decision. If you have no further questions follow me." _Shit!_ I jumped up in the air and sprung away from the wall and somehow managed to tangle my legs together in the process and fell flat on my freaking face. When I lifted my head up off the carpet I saw Edward and Tanya's stunned expressions looking down at me.

"Bella are you alright?" Edward looked concerned. He reached out his hand and helped me up. _Why am I such a freaking spaz_? I stood up and tried to act unfazed.

"Yes, I...uh..tripped on...um... myself." I was blushing. _Smooth Bella ...real smooth._ Tanya was looking at me with pity in her eyes. It made me dislike her even more.

I wanted to talk to Edward. I wanted to warn him that his plan had backfired and to tell him that James was sending Eric with us. But I couldn't, not with that freakin hoochie momma standing there. So instead I quickly excused myself to go collect my belongings.

I looked back before I rounded the corner of the hallway and saw the office door shutting behind Edward and Tanya. The harsh sound it made signaling such great change to me. _Oh lord, please don't let Edward get hurt. How can I protect him now? _

I made my way upstairs to my cubby space and packed the few belongings I had brought with me. James was right; they were pathetic. I didn't exactly pack much. I brought a few drab black outfits. It seemed very fitting at the time. I felt as though I was in mourning. My spirit died the moment I agreed to James' insane contract. I sat on my bed and just took some time to pull myself together. I knew I should be filled with excitement at my own good fortune. I was getting away from here for awhile. Instead I was filled with intense fear for Edward's grim situation. I knew he brought it on himself. Yet I still felt as though I had unintentionally led a lamb to slaughter.

I knew it was now or never. James would just love for my tardiness to give him the chance for a final performance for the night. I grabbed my iPod and headed off to my new_ master_. As I got towards the top of the staircase I heard the distinct sound of Victoria's cackling laughter emanating from her room. It was such an odd and unsettling sound; unnatural, really. Once again I found myself frozen in place. _Aren't _I _becoming quite the little spy tonight? Well more of a bumbling spy...maybe I just need a bit more practice._ I simply couldn't resist the temptation to find out what that heartless cow found so amusing.

"Oh James you really are a genius. How does your mother not see that? She must be blind." She was gushing over him as usual. _Blech!_ _SO not gonna miss her. _

"Victoria you know I **will not** tolerate any disrespect towards my mother. What she expects of me is infallibility. Being genius is not nearly enough to please her." He spoke in his Dom tone as though he were speaking to me. He usually didn't speak to Victoria in that way so I sensed she had struck a nerve. _Ah..._s_o he's a mama's boy. Who knew?_ I can only imagine what type of woman raised such a demented man.

"James darling, you know I hold a deep respect for Jane. One could only dream of attaining even a small portion of what she's achieved. The woman is a living legend for god's sake." She was being genuine. Her tone held none of the sarcasm that usually oozed from Victoria's mouth.

"Indeed. I eagerly anticipate mother's reaction when she hears of the arrangement I've made with Edward Cullen. She'll be quite pleased with me to say the least." I heard them snickering in unison and the sound was one of the most disturbing noises I think I've ever heard. Why on earth would James' mother care about his arrangement with Edward? It made no sense to me. Being utterly confused and at times horrified seemed to be the theme of the evening. Now I had yet another strange thought to ponder.

"Of course I personally came to give you the news Vicki. I know how you'll miss your little pet. How about we go fetch her and then I'll introduce you to her replacement. A far superior being, I might add. Come let us be rid of our whiny little mutt." _Oh_ s_hit! Time to go. _I managed to spin around without falling this time and bolted back to my cubby.

I could hear Victoria's gruff voice droning down the hall. "Oh darling you really are too good to me. You've spoiled me for all others you know." I threw my backpack on the bed and was pretending to zip it up when they walked in the room.

"On your knees sub," he commanded.

I dropped to my knees, bowed my head, eyes cast to the floor. I was grateful it would be a while before I'd have to deal with this shit again. I heard his black boots clunking on the hardwood floor steadily getting closer until they stopped directly in front of me. I could feel his laser like eyes staring down on me. Cold and calculating.

"I have instructed Eric to notify me immediately if he has any concerns about your behavior. Do not be foolish Isabella. It would be such a shame for your daddy to pay the price once again for **your **carelessness." He crouched down on his knees and lifted my chin up to look at my face.

"How that man can stand the sight of you after what you've done is beyond me. Killing your own mother. How do you live with yourself? "I felt a ball of guilt filling my throat. I was trying to swallow it, but I couldn't. James let go of my chin and stood up.

"Vicki, would you like to say good-bye to your little pet. I know you two are so close." I was still struggling to swallow the lump in my throat and to gain control of my emotions when I suddenly felt my hair being pulled. My nose was assaulted by the smell of Victoria's cheap ass perfume.

"Listen here, you little bitch. If you cause any problems you'll have much more to worry about than your whore of a father." She had my hair tightly wrapped around her fist. My eyes were squinting from the pain. She slowly licked her lips.

"I bet your momma was a freak in the bed. That man had been trained quite well." She released my hair and let loose her loud cackling laugh.

"On your feet." James commanded as he walked over to the doorway.

"I believe we're done here. Come, Isabella. It's time for you to go." He certainly didn't need to tell me twice. I followed Satan and his minion downstairs.

James strutted into his office with Victoria slithering close behind him. Edward was waiting there alone. I couldn't care less where the hell that tramp Tanya was, but I was curious about why Jasper was no longer around.

James walked over to Edward and a devilish smirk appeared on the madman's face.

"Edward, it will be a pleasure doing business with you. Though Isabella is not a very valuable sub, I believe she will serve your purpose for the time being quite well." That man never ran out of ways to insult me. _Whatever, as if I really care I he considers me valuable or not._ I had to stifle a laugh at his absurdity.

Edward quickly looked over to me and then back to James.

"Agreed. I have a feeling this will prove to be a much better fit for me." Edward's tone was cold, yet I caught the double meaning in his words. James leaned against his desk and crossed his arms.

"Though Isabella is certainly not a prized possession, she is a possession of mine nonetheless. I gather you realize the great trust I have bestowed on you tonight? " His eyes were giving Edward a look of warning. I knew that look quite well. Just as Edward was about to respond, Eric appeared in the doorway.

"As you know Eric will be accompanying you. He will be at your disposal." He motioned for Eric to enter the room.

"I do not anticipate Isabella will misbehave. However, I won't tolerate disobedience from her whether or not she is directly under my command. As her Dom, Edward I expect you to be like minded in this." A demonic grin appeared on his face. I suppose the thought of Edward punishing me gave him a sick thrill.

"I assure you I am well prepared to take care of my sub if needed." Edward/stood up and looked over to me.

"It seems our business is complete for tonight." he held his hand out to James and they shook hands. James walked closer to me/.

"You will report to Breaking Dawn at midnight three weeks from tonight. Now go and serve your Master well." And with that I was dismissed from hell.

****

The car ride was almost entirely silent. Eric was at the wheel and his presence was practically the same as if James himself were there with us. Edward was in full Dom mode. He seemed so different to me. He wasn't acting like James or anything like that. He was somehow able to be dominating without being sick and twisted. Who knew that was even possible? Actually, he was pretty damn sexy as a Dom.

He had an air of confidence and dare I say...self control that was very alluring to me. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't looking to be a sub in the "real world." However, in this crazy alternate world I was currently stuck in, the idea of being a sub for the man sitting next to me was quite appealing.

_Jeez Bella, why don't you just jump him and get it over with already! _Why was it I could never think straight when I was around him? I was in the middle of a complete disaster and all I could do was sit there making googly eyes at a cute boy. Talk about self control. Maybe Edward could teach me how to have some of that.

As I struggled to get my mind out of the gutter I heard the car door open. We had arrived at Edward's house.

I followed Edward through the front door with Eric trailing behind me. I felt like I had the goddamn grim reaper breathing down the back of my neck. I suppose it could have been worse; he could have sent Taylor instead. That freakin guy was just as heartless as James and Victoria. Which was probably why Taylor was so valuable to James. Eric was clearly expendable. Unfortunately, I think this only gave Eric incentive to prove himself to James that he was a worthy minion. He was eager for that psycho's approval. Why he even cared was beyond me.

Edward's house was stunning, just like him. The first thing I noticed was that it was immaculate. Though I hadn't been given a full tour, from what I could see the house was a mixture of traditional and modern design. A state of the art kitchen yet a traditional dining and living room. The house had personality and depth.

Edward walked to the island in his kitchen and turned to face me and the reaper.

"Bella, I would have liked to take you to the playroom and formally initiate you as my sub tonight. However, first I will need to advise you of my rules and discuss limits with you. You will need to be well rested and fully alert for such things. It's quite late so I will show you each to your rooms and you'll both be dismissed for the night. " He dropped his house keys on the counter and headed towards the staircase.

Edward lead us to our rooms. Eric's was only a few doors down from mine. _Lovely. _

I closed the door and turned to let out a sigh with my back up against the door. Edward was right. It was late and I was not very alert. I looked around the room and noticed it had a lot of warmth to it. A lot of warmth. It almost looked like it had a woman's touch. I couldn't imagine that Edward had taken the time to add some of the comforting touches around the room. There were pretty little jars filled with potpourri and soothing spa candles scattered around the room. Had he ever lived here in this house with a girlfriend? I didn't like that thought very much. Well, I could be sure if he had she was no longer living here. Unless she didn't mind a freakin' googly eyed sub and her grim reaper moving in with them. I almost chuckled to myself at the thought of that. Yep, I was overtired.

After washing up and changing into my favorite boy shorts and tank I rummaged through my bag for my iPod. That little piece of electronics was my life force these past few months. When this whole ordeal was over with I fully intended to write Steve Jobs a lengthy thank you letter.

I jumped into bed. _Ah... sweet comfort_. The mattress was so plush. The sheets were divine and the pillows were heavenly. I rolled around like a freakin' cat in heat for a few minutes just relishing in the comfort of this wondrous bed. Wow! I seriously think that was the most pleasurable experience I have ever had in bed and I was alone. How sad is that...and I didn't even have an orgasm...even sadder. I began to chuckle at my own misfortune when I thought I heard a noise. I yanked the ear buds from my ears and sat up straight.

_knock...knock..._

Someone was at my door. Probably that damn reaper. I jumped up completely forgetting my lack of clothing and ran for the door.

I opened the door and there he stood. The man I had been dreaming about almost every night for the past month. He was standing in front of me running his fingers through his hair and looking at me through those gorgeous emerald eyes of his. Good lord, Edward was only wearing pajama bottoms. Let me tell, you his bare chest was certainly a sight to behold.

"Can I please come in Bella?" His voice was a low whisper. He caressed my name in ways no one had ever done before.

I stepped aside and gestured for him to come in, unable to say anything. I was still basking in his essence_. Hello!_ _Earth to Bella you look like a complete idiot right now._ _Get a grip girl!_ When I regained control of my senses I quietly shut the door behind him.

"I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour, but we really need to talk and with that watch dog being around here all the time I figured our only opportunity is late at night." He wasn't looking at me as he spoke.

"It's okay. I wasn't asleep" I said to say anything at all. I didn't trust my brain to form coherent thoughts at that point so I kept it simple.

Even though once again he had me dazzled I didn't forget that I was quite mad at him. I wanted to tell him what a fool he was for ignoring my warnings and getting himself involved in this disaster of mine. I wanted to tell him how much danger he was in for taking Eric with us and agreeing to have him around all the time, but I couldn't...I was lost in the sight of him. It may sound ridiculous but it was true. Here stood a man that I barely knew risking everything for me. Wouldn't that thought soften your heart

He captivated me so intensely. It actually took me some time to regain the ability to function properly whenever I was around him I'd never experienced anything remotely like it in my life. Edward was running his hands over and over through that hair. I wanted to be the one doing that to him. He had sexy hair. I didn't even realize before I'd met him that it was possible to be attracted to someone's hair. But yes trust me it is possible. His hair like the rest of him was sexy but it was also out of control and intense. Yes it was pure Edward. I shook my head sharply to snap myself out of the hair lust I was feeling. _Could I be any more pathetic?_

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times before he finally spoke.

"So...uh...what have you been doing?" It didn't seem like that was the original question he wanted to ask.

"I was listening to my iPod. I couldn't sleep." There was an awkward tension in the air.

"Oh that's a good idea. Put it in the docking station and turn the music a little louder. Just in case Eric is still awake." Ah, so he did know of the danger he brought home with us. Yes, he was smart...just not smart enough to heed my words.

I agreed with him on needing some privacy. I took my iPod and put it in the docking station on the dresser and turned the music a bit louder than I would usually listen to. I had my back to him and since I was no longer mesmerized by his eyes all the rage I was feeling from the minute I saw him at the party spontaneously exploded out of me.

"What the hell were you thinking Edward? I asked you clearly to stay away, to not get involved in this. What's wrong with you? Do you have a death wish or something?" I felt my skin starting to heat up.

"Right back at you, Bella," he said in an uncharacteristically calm voice.

Whoa! I haven't known Edward very long but I knew he had some trouble controlling his temper. He seemed so different than I remembered him in that way. He stunned me into silence. After a few seconds of silence I turned to face him.

He crossed the room and sat on the bed. He patted the place beside him for me to come sit down. I took a deep breath before I obeyed. He was looking down. His hands placed on his knees. He took a deep breath as well.

"Look I know you're mad at me... Can't you see that I simply had to do something? I had to get you away from James and to be honest I'm glad you're here with me. I might not have succeeded in solving your problems ..._yet_... but at least you're away from James for a couple of weeks. We can think of a solution together. Two brains work much better than one, Bella."

My head was racing with so many questions all at the same time. I wanted to ask him so many things, like why did he _have_ to do something to help me and why was he glad I was here with him...and what exactly did he do to satisfy Tanya?. I was pulled from my thoughts when I heard his voice speak again.

"You might think what I did was a mistake but you should know I would do it all over again. I know I'm doing the right thing. No one should suffer the way you are. Especially not for the reasons you have." He finally raised his head and looked directly into my eyes. His eyes were gauging me. He placed his hand on mine and squeezed it gently. _He knows about the accident. _I was astounded to say the least.

"Who told you?" I wasn't sure he heard me but I didn't want to repeat the question. I already knew the answer. It must have been Jacob. Only Jacob knew about my mother and the reasons behind my decision to agree to James' insane blackmail. I was looking deep into Edward eyes now just searching to see if he would be honest with me.

"I'm not going to lie to you Bella. I overheard your talk with Alice and I went on my own to find Jake. After some coercing he told me about your mom and the rest of the story with James. He was also the one who helped me form this plan along with my sister." I was pretty floored by that confession. I appreciated that he didn't try to lie to me. I couldn't have stomached a lie from him. _I've had my share of jerk, thank you very much._

"So the three of you crazies planned for you to front as a Dom to convince James to allow you to bring me to your home? Did you also plan for Eric to come along? What about Jasper? Wasn't he in on the plan as well?" It was just so outlandish for such intelligent people to be so careless about their well being.

Don't get me wrong I was very thankful for the opportunity to get away from that psycho. But I just had to make Edward understand that his plan was outsmarted by James. It had always been and would always be that way. James was just too devious. He planned his moves meticulously.

"No. I didn't exactly plan for Eric but I knew it was a possibility. Jake and Alice told me how suspicious James is and that he might come and check up on you or send someone else to do so. No, Jasper was not part of the plan. Please don't get me started on that guy right now. You don't have any reason to worry, Bella. I assure you that I'm well prepared for all eventualities." He looked so confident. I just hated to rain on his parade.

I tried to concentrate on something other than the utter fear that gripped my heart as I listened to him tell me that he was prepared for _everything_. Did he really comprehend the magnitude of evil that embodied James? He was there during the pain scene at Alice's party so I knew he had to at least have a pretty good idea. What would possess him to want to risk the wrath of such a madman for a complete stranger?

Suddenly something in my mind clicked as I marveled at how driven and motivated Edward was to help me. I was the one being the fool here wasn't I? I mean, for whatever reason, I had someone willing to sacrifice so much just to help me. When I joined the Peace Corps it was because I had an overwhelming urge to help those in need.

Complete strangers in need.

My reward was simply for them to accept my assistance. They were so grateful to not have to walk their long and battered road alone. That is what Edward was offering to me. As much as I didn't want to admit it I was tired of travelling my tattered and turbulent road alone.

Perhaps it wasn't meant for me to go through my problems all by myself any longer. Maybe it would be alright for me to accept someone's help. I could hear that Edward was still talking to me but I was too wrapped up in my thoughts to make sense of whatever it was he was telling me.

It had hit me like a lightning bolt. Edward -whatever his reasons may be- would never let me travel down this road alone. No matter what I could tell him or what I would do to try and drive him away. He would remain. He would be my rock. My safe haven in the storm. What _did I do to deserve such a thing?_ I had no idea. Tears started spilling out of my eyes without me noticing it. Only Edward's words made me realize I was even crying.

"Bella? Bella, please don't cry. I promise I'll take care of everything. Nothing will ever happen to your family." He brushed my tears away frantically. For some reason his worried face caused me to giggle and for a minute he looked at me like I had lost my mind.

"I'm not mad at you anymore," I choked out between laughing and crying. "Well, sure I think you're completely insane for always putting yourself in harm's way for me and it drives me mad. But how could I be anything but grateful to someone that is willing to do so much just to help me out of a mess I've created myself. I'm not crying because I'm scared either..." He looked baffled. _One thing I'm sure of... he'll never accuse me of being predictable._

"Then why are you crying?" he inquired softly. His finger lightly brushed my cheek and I instantly felt a strange current running through my body just like I'd felt from his touch that night at the club. I blushed at the memory, because it also brought back the desire to kiss him like I felt then.

"I just had a small epiphany, that's all." My sobs were barely audible anymore.

"Would you mind telling me what kind of epiphany has made you cry?" He cocked his head in the cutest way and a crooked smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Uh...I just realized I was never alone in this...not since meeting you." I chewed on my lower lip, embarrassed by what I had just blurted out without thinking.

Before I knew what was happening Edward was holding me in his arms. Oh yes... real Edward was way more incredible than imaginary Edward could ever hope to be.

I felt the warmth of his breath cascading down the side of my neck and I swear I could hear my heart beating in my ears_._

_Thump...thump...thump._

I pulled back so I could look up into those beautiful green orbs of his and before I could even blink his lips crashed onto mine with great intensity. His lips were hungry and filled with passion just urging me to reciprocate. I didn't need to be asked twice.

I had been dreaming of this moment for such a long time.

* * *

Dun...Dun...Dun...Will lemons ensue in Chapter 9? What would you do if you were Bella?

So has anyone noticed a freaky little group running around the fandom causing mayhem and bedlam in the Twilight M rated area?

I don't even want to say their name since that would just give them even more of a platform. But I found it so ironic that an author friend of mine got an email from one of these freaks and his name was James. How fitting is that?

I know MoD is not one of the mega popular stories that they seem to be thirsting to remove...but it's ripe for their picking since it's a BDSM story and written to an audience older than ten. If for some reason they do notice our crazy little love story you can also find Master of Disaster on The Writer's Coffee Shop Library (TWCSL). The link is now on our profile. It's a cozy little website that actually believes in freedom of speech and doesn't allow their authors to be terrorized.

If you're familiar with the Twilighted website format TWCSL is basically the same format. You have to register to read on their site. When you choose your preferences make sure you check the box to be alerted for your favorite stories. Then any story you add to your list of favorites you'll get update alerts for. It took me a bit to get the hang of it but I totally love their site right now. It's my newest addiction.

They have an amazing selection of NC-17 fanfics over there.

You can always find us on our Twitter which I basically live on at this point. Such an amazing group of Fanfic babes on there. Come join the Whack Pack and you too can partake in chocolates syrup and sprinkled covered Edward loving.

Follow us (at)tropicaltherani

Now I have an amazing mind blowing fanfic rec for you. This story seriously should be copyrighted and published immediately. It is so original. I don't want to give anything away. Once you figure out what the plotline is you will be blown away by the author's creative mind. She's so talented and there are smoking hot lemons. What's not to love?

Set in Stone by Psyche001

Summary:

Bound by secrecy & by the terms of his sentence, Edward finds comfort in the least likely of places. He shouldn't be so intrigued by Bella & she can't help but feel drawn to the mystery of him. Love may not be enough to alter his fate.

As always please let us know your thoughts. You're on this journey with us and we love to hear your voice.

Chapter 9 coming soon.


	9. Chapter 9

**Yeah we know...it took us ages AGAIN to get out this Chapter and we are truly sorry about it, but RL can be a b**h sometimes. We can however promise you to do better starting May!!!**

**So far no one told me they really want an outtake of the training so I don't think I will be writing it if no one is interested. Sad cause I was eager to write some Sam action. I mean, hello Sam is smoking hot!**

**I'll make you a deal though: if we reach 300 reviews with this Chapter I will write the outtake...hurry up with the next Chapter and I will post the first Chapter of our new story: "Renting Edward Cullen". Now this is one fabulous deal!! Besides people do you know TropicalSorbet already reached her 300 reviews? I mean come on I know you can do better than this. I see many story alerts which means you like the story but if you don't tell me how am I supposed to know or feel encouraged enough to write faster?**

**Many thanks to our Beta HappyMess who once again beta'ed this story in record time!!  
**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN TWILIGHT. STEPHENIE MEYER DOES!!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 9

**EPOV**

Who would have thought that Jasper double crossing my plans would turn out to be so useful to me in the end? Alice and Jake had warned me that I probably wouldn't be able to bring Bella home with me that night. I didn't like it but I knew they had a valid point.

I was no fool, it was crazy to think that James would just hand Bella over to me the first time I attended one of his parties. I didn't know how much he knew about me or if he'd heard of my aversion to BDSM. Bella being in my home that night was a wonderful twist of fate for me. I felt like the stress and restlessness of the past few weeks were melting away.

_She's safe. _

_I can breathe again._

My body was driven to her door without even thinking about what I was doing. I had to tell her about the plan, which was a really good excuse to visit her at such a late hour. I convinced myself I was going to make sure she was alright and at the same time a thought kept bothering me.

I couldn't forget how Bella had gaped at me in horror when she walked in on me punishing Tanya. For some ridiculous reason I was worried Bella would believe I really entered the BDSM lifestyle and that I was her Dom now for real. I let out a sigh.

I decided not to make myself crazy and just knock on the damn door. After awhile I heard Bella shuffle. _Did I wake her? _When she opened the door I completely forgot why the hell I was there to begin with.

She stood before me in nothing but a thin white tank top and a tiny pair of boy shorts. Her thick mahogany hair hung loosely around her shoulders. Every instinct in my body screamed for me to kiss her that instant. Screw the whole talking and planning every detail out tonight.

I wanted to just take her and fucking run as far as I could just to be alone with her. I wanted to be far away from all the problems and troubles and psychos and scheming.

I wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked and how happy I felt about her being here with me, but I didn't want to freak her out by being too forward with her, so when I finally got my voice back I ended up asking her what she'd been doing instead.

I wasn't surprised at all when Bella let me know how unhappy she was with me for getting involved in her troubles. I was proud of myself for staying so cool while discussing it with her, but the real reason I was so calm was because I was busy trying to distract myself from wrapping her in my arms.

_Pace yourself_.

I filled her in on a few things starting with me overhearing her conversation with my sister to Jake giving me the details about her life. I told her not to worry about Eric, because though I didn't plan for him to come along with her I was prepared to deal with anything that could have been thrown at me by James. As long as she was by my side I wasn't fucking worried.

"See, Bella, I might not be as ruthless as James, but trust me when I tell you I can fight my battles quite well. Before you tell me that this isn't my battle to fight, let me tell you I don't care," I continued before she could interrupt me. I suddenly noticed that Bella wasn't looking at me while I was explaining myself to her. I doubted she could even hear me. Her eyes were glazed over as if her thoughts were far, far away.

"I won't let you push me away, Bella!" I was a little fiercer than I intended to be and when I looked up again I saw that she was crying.

_Shit! _My heart broke at the sight of the tears rolling down her face, especially since they were tears I had caused.

_Nice going dumb ass! Now you made her cry!_

I've never felt so hurt over someone else's anguish before. How odd. It had been like that for me basically from the moment I met Bella. It didn't take me long to figure out that I would do practically anything to make that girl smile.

"Bella? Bella, please don't cry. I promise I'll take care of everything. Nothing will ever happen to your family." I tried to calm her down and wipe her tears away.

"I'm not mad at you anymore," She choked out between laughing and crying. "Well, sure I think you're completely insane for always putting yourself in harm's way for me and it drives me mad. But how could I be anything but grateful to someone that is willing to do so much just to help me out of a mess I created myself. I'm not crying because I'm scared either..." She furrowed her brows. Okay… now I was really confused.

"Then why are you crying?" I raised my fingers to her cheek and touched it softly; too afraid to lose what little was left of my self control.

"I just had a small epiphany, that's all," she whispered.

She had an epiphany. Why was everything about her so damn adorable? Was it just me? No it couldn't be. I never went soft like that over a woman. Bella was just special. She was like no other. An epiphany. Who has an epiphany? It was so fucking cute.

"Would you mind telling me what kind of epiphany has made you cry?" I asked amused.

"Uh...I just realized I was never alone in this...not since meeting you." Her answer stunned me and then she did what I dreaded since I entered her room, she bit down on that damn lip. It may sound crazy, but it drove me absolutely fucking wild.

She was seducing me without even trying.

Before I knew what I was doing I embraced her tightly. I had to hold back a groan just from the pleasure I felt from having her in my arms. I waited for her to look at me. Slowly she raised those gorgeous brown eyes to meet mine and I feared she could read the longing in them. I was fighting a losing battle. I simply couldn't hold myself back any longer.

I crashed my lips onto hers and pulled her closer to me. My tongue caressed her bottom lip and silently asked for entrance. When Bella opened her mouth to me our tongues battled for dominance...her taste was like nothing I'd ever known before...it was divine. She tasted like fresh strawberries, which was kind of strange because she also smelled like them as well. She was fucking delicious. _So sweet_. I couldn't get enough of her. I was so lost in the kiss that I didn't realize where we were headed until I felt the bulge in my pajama bottoms begging for attention.

Everything in me yearned to go further... to give in to my long neglected needs and just take her.

Bella's hands were fisting my hair while pulling me closer to her. I felt her heated skin through her delicate tank top...her hard nipples rubbed against my bare chest and the sensation caused me to softly moan into her mouth.

I had reached my limit...it was a fight or flight situation. I could follow my desire, take her in this moment and maybe risk that she would hate me forever for taking advantage of her...

Or I could be the man I discovered in me the past few weeks and take control of the beast that dwelled within me.

_Yes...I can control myself if need be. _I really didn't want to make her feel like a possession handed down from one asshole to I started to pull back bit by bit.

"Bella…" My voice was hoarse. I cleared my throat before I tried again.

"Bella, I'm sorry. I want you to feel comfortable here with me." My eyes were pleading with her for forgiveness.

_She hasn't even been here for an hour and already I can't keep my hands off her._

She looked down shyly and I saw her biting that damn lip again. I almost felt sorry for saying those words, but she had to understand what I meant. She had to know that I didn't want to take advantage of her in any way.

"Are you apologizing for kissing me?" Her chest was heaving up and down. Her bright red lips were now swollen from our passionate kiss.

"Uh...well." I thought for a second. Was I sorry for kissing her? No never. I would kiss her all night if I fucking could. I was sorry for not being able to control myself around her. But how could I explain that without sounding like a complete pervert?

"I'm sorry that I acted that way. It was inappropriate." My fingers were now flying through my hair and I was feeling angrier at myself by the minute.

"No, you don't need to be sorry, Edward. I...I wanted it, too." Her words were a low whisper. I almost thought I imagined her saying them. She leaned into me again and her mouth was only inches away from mine.

My heart beat faster in my chest and I ached to pull her back into my arms and feel those soft sweet lips against mine once again. I knew better than that so I slowly backed away from her.

_Of course she would say that you idiot. She feels thankful for your help and now you've practically assaulted her. _

_What if she feels like it's the only way she can repay you. She would hate you because you took advantage of her vulnerability. Don't be a fool! _

I kept running my hands through my hair at quite a brisk rate. My heart was pounding in my chest like I had just run a fucking marathon. My body wanted nothing more than to thoroughly ravish the stunning creature before me. The effect Bella had over me was incredible.

_I will protect this sweet girl even from myself if need be._

"Bella, I... I think we should...umm...talk about what we're going to do in the next few weeks, especially with Eric around." I was relieved I had thought of this distraction.

She raised her head and the look on her face could only be described as hurt.

_Huh?_

_Wait....what did I do wrong?_ I had respected her and her feelings...then why was she looking at me like that?

_Could she feel hurt that I stopped indulging myself in her? Nah....Nice try._

Bella mumbled something to herself and gave me a warm smile. She almost looked embarrassed. I must have made her feel uncomfortable. _Shit!_ That was the _last_ thing I wanted to do.

"I'm so sorry Edward I don't know what came over me. You're right we have so much to discuss." She was blushing furiously and her hands were fidgeting with the sheets.

_Christ!_ I wanted my lips back on hers so bad. I had to look away to stop myself from groping her all over again.

"I should be the one apologizing to you. You deserve better than to be mauled like that." I wanted to let her know how valuable she was and that she deserved to be treated with nothing but respect at all times. Apparently shoving my tongue down her fucking throat was just my funny little way of showing that to her.

"Yes I agree. There was definitely mauling going on but _you_ weren't the one doing it. " She replied as she backed away from me towards the center of the bed. Bella was now sitting with her legs folded beneath her.

"Edward you really don't need to explain yourself to me. Can we just start over? Please?" Her eyes were pleading with me. I was a bit leery because she still looked hurt for some reason. That bothered me. This girl was so hard to read. I wanted to know what she was thinking.

"Sure, let's start over." I agreed hesitantly.

"Great! So what's the plan? I'm all ears." Bella had placed an elbow on each folded leg, her face held up by her fists. I felt like we were teenagers making a plan to sneak around behind our parent's backs. _If only it were that simple. _

"Well, since Eric is staying here we'll need to act as Dom and sub in his presence at all times. We have to be smart about this. He'll report anything he may find odd back to James." I hadn't really planned on having to act as Bella's Dom on a daily basis. I expected I would need to do a scene or two with her for James' sake but I didn't expect we'd have to _live_ as Dom and sub.

"So will we… uh…be doing scenes together?" She blushed…all over. Now I was friggin hard again.

_Pull yourself together Cullen. _

"Yes it's unavoidable." I confirmed looking directly into her curious eyes. "How do you feel about that, Bella?"

I could do nothing to avoid having a scene or two with her and I was sure at least the first couple of times Eric would insist to stay in the playroom with us, probably using James' order as an excuse to watch over our interaction.

"It's okay Edward. I knew we we'd have to eventually." She looked down. I couldn't read her face. There was so much behind her few words and again I found myself wishing I could read her mind.

"Tomorrow I'll go over rules with you in the playroom. Eric will be there of course. We'll establish safe words as well. Are you freaked out by any of this, Bella?" I realized that question was ridiculous to ask her at that point in the game, but I needed to know if she was and if so what I could do to help.

"Am I freaked out that I'm in a contract with a psycho? Yes." Her whole body stiffened.

"Am I freaked out that Eric will be there probably watching over all our scenes? No, I'm used to him being around. Not that I like it but I couldn't prevent Eric from being in the playroom before, so I 'm not gonna freak out about it now." She shrugged.

"Am I freaked out that I've been swapped to a kind and generous man? No." she placed her hand over mine and looked in my eyes softly.

"Am I freaked out that said kind and generous man is willing to change his entire life around just to help me? Yes. A bit. Though I'm learning to get used to that." She giggled.

The sound of Bella giggling was just beautiful. I wanted to hear her giggle like that every day. I couldn't help but to smile back at her. I could feel the large grin on my face as I spoke.

"Yes, you would be very wise young lady to get used to my help. Just please remember when I'm acting as your Dom it's only for Eric's sake only. If he's not around we're no longer in character." I didn't want her to feel as though I really believed she was my sub for Christ Sake.

"Can I ask you a question?" Bella began to bite her bottom lip and I had to look away.

_This girl will be the death of me for sure._

"Of course" I replied. She was apprehensive and thought for several seconds before speaking.

"That girl Tanya. Did you train with her?" Bella looked into my eyes with great curiosity.

"Yes." _Where did this come from?_ "Tanya knows my sister and trained with me as a favor to Alice. Why do you ask?" I knew Bella must have been curious about what went on in James' playroom but we had been discussing my role play with her.../so why was she thinking about Tanya now?

"Well, you seemed to be very…uh… comfortable with her in James' playroom tonight." _Ahhh..I knew this incident was gonna bite me in the ass. _If I hadn't known better I would've sworn that Bella looked a bit jealous.

That would be crazy though. Why would someone as amazing as Bella ever be jealous of someone like Tanya? That girl was so far from what I wanted it wasn't even plausible. Though perhaps Bella noticed that I had not entirely hated being a Dom. I let out a deep sigh. I was pinching the bridge of my nose. I looked at Bella intently.

"I trained for three weeks as a Dom with Tanya as my sub. Jake's friend Sam guided me. There were no sexual acts during the training. Though some of the training was...erotic. Tanya has many fetishes." Now I felt as though I was blushing. Bella's eyes grew wide.

"Is that what she meant when she said you knew how to satisfy a sub? Sheesh! I can only imagine what type of fetishes a prissy little whore like her would have." Bella was steaming. It was kind of funny. Especially since for once I wasn't the person she was angry with.

"Well, enough about Tanya. Let's just say she served her purpose and leave it at that alright?" I was trying not to laugh at Bella as she sat there with her arms folded in anger, her lips clenched tightly together. Steam was practically coming from her ears. Man she really didn't like Tanya very much at all. Not that I could blame her. That girl was pretty fucking annoying. I wasn't aware that Bella had gotten the chance to know Tanya very well. It was strange that she reacted to her so strongly.

"Why were you flogging her in the playroom?" Clearly she wasn't gonna let this go. I took in a deep breath and released it slowly.

"I had to punish her for disobeying me in front of James." I looked at Bella and she looked as though she was waiting for me to continue.

"Jasper provoked her to speak without my permission," and then came a look of confusion on her face.

"Jasper? Why on earth would he do that?" her brows were furrowed.

"I have no idea. He was definitely not trying to help me in any way. That's for sure. I have every intention of dealing with his traitor ass very soon." Now **I** was steaming. My blood was starting to boil. I felt her hand on my shoulder.

"Give him a chance to explain. I've learned that things aren't always what they seem to be. Please. Promise me you'll give him a chance to explain?" I really didn't need an explanation from that fucker.

What I needed was my fist on his face. I couldn't say that to Bella though. So instead I gave her a weak smile and nodded my head. Sam trained me to stay in control of my emotions and all but that didn't mean I was gonna let that dickhead get away with what he did. No fucking way. I hadn't told my sister about it yet because I wanted to talk to Jasper first. Trust me I was certainly not protecting that friggin' backstabber by any means. I just wanted to find out what type of a lame ass excuse he was gonna give before I involved Alice. That lying bastard dug his own damn grave. I had absolutely no sympathy for him. Though I was worried about how Alice would react. Bella's suddenly sharp voice broke me out of my thoughts.

"Oh my god Edward! Do you know James mother?" Bella blurted out frantically.

"No I've never met her. But I've heard some troubling things about her. Why?" Why would she think I knew that psychos mother? I started to worry that maybe Bella had lost her trust in me.

"Because I overheard James bragging to Victoria that his mother would be very pleased to hear that he was in a business arrangement with you. It was pretty creepy." She shivered at the thought.

"Really? Now that is quite interesting to hear." My eyes shot up to hers. "Jake told me that while he was checking into James for you he found out that his mother was buying up all of the public stock in my father's airline." _Why had that shit totally escaped my mind these last few weeks? Oh yeah, because I've been freaking obsessed with Bella. _

_Way to screw up again, Cullen. I really need to find out what that crazy lady is after._ _Now that Bella is safe I will definitely be looking into that. _

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would she want stock in an airline?" she asked.

"Probably because James' mother, Jane, owns a fuel company. It's one of the few international fuel companies that offer independent aviation fuel handling services to airlines. She's been trying to negotiate a contract with Eclipse for quite awhile. My father keeps turning her and her offers away." I remembered my father telling me on numerous occasions that she was a ruthless businesswoman.

"Edward! That doesn't sound very good at all. If that woman's DNA created a man like James I can just imagine what evil must lurk within her. Did you warn your father about this?" She looked genuinely concerned. Here she was with all her problems and still worried about me and my family. Bella was the type of woman that would go to hell and back for her family. I loved that about her.

I on the other hand haven't exactly been thinking of my family lately. I haven't been thinking of anything lately that didn't involve saving Bella from that madman. I guess you could say I have a one track mind.

"I haven't talked to my father for a while. We don't always see eye to eye." That was certainly the truth. It seemed like no matter what I did it wasn't good enough for him. He was never fucking satisfied. I always had to do things _his_ way. _I'm my own damn person. _The sooner he understood that the better.

"I'm sorry to hear that. You should really try and work it out. You only have one father Edward and he's irreplaceable." She looked at me intently, her chocolate brown eyes filled with compassion.

"I'm willing to meet him halfway. I won't go any further than that." Even I could hear the bitterness in my voice. I didn't want to talk any further about me and my problems with my dad. I got up from the bed and lightly brushed my fingers down Bella's cheek. Her skin was so warm. I worried she was getting sick from all the stress. She needed to rest.

"I think you need to get some sleep now Bella. We have plenty of time to talk." I smiled at her and she smiled back. Her smile touched her eyes. I was frozen in place. Just enjoying the feel of her skin on my fingertips and the warmth of her smile.

"I know I'll sleep well tonight. This bed is freaking amazing! I was rolling around in it like a cat in heat earlier." She giggled.

_And I'm hard again. Oh yes that image will definitely be on my mind when I'm alone later. Yeah I'm a fucking pervert I know. _

"I'm so glad to hear you're comfortable. Please let me know if there's anything you need at all" I said as I walked to the door.

"Thanks Edward. Goodnight." She said sweetly as she crawled under the covers.

"Goodnight Bella. Sweet dreams." I whispered before shutting her door. I couldn't help but to smirk at her as I thought of the sweet dreams I would most likely be having.

*************

**BPOV**

I stretched my arms up to the ceiling as I yawned.

_Good lord_ w_hat time is it?_

I hadn't slept that well in ages. It seemed like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders.

I knew it wouldn't exactly be smooth sailing ahead, but for some reason I felt more optimistic and dare I say a tad hopeful as I sat up and faced the day before me.

My reason had a name and that name was Edward Cullen.

Edward...I can't believe I attacked him the way I did yesterday. God, how I wanted him to never stop kissing me. His lips were just heavenly. My body was crying out for far more than even I had realized I was ready for.

How freaking embarrassing that Edward had better control over himself than I did. There was also a small part of me that felt hurt for being rejected by him. His kiss was so fervent and yet when I had wanted to kiss him again he leaned away from me. _He probably didn't want to lead me on. I'm sure he's very used to girls throwing themselves at him._

_  
_I glanced at the clock and couldn't believe my eyes. It was nine o'clock in the morning. I snickered to myself knowing how livid James would be to know that I slept like a baby in a cushy bed for so long. Then it hit me.

_Crap! Would Eric tell him?_

I jumped up and quickly began making my bed all the while thinking about that beautiful new Master of mine. Oh...I decided if Edward and I were going to be in character so often I would need to get myself used to that idea.

I was his sub..._sort of_.

He was my Dom…_sort of_.

For some strange reason when it came to Edward I didn't feel repulsed at the thought of calling him Master.

I freaking hated that word when I had to use it with James.

_Uh…perhaps that's because you didn't freely submit your will to that madman. _

Well I mean yes I signed a contract, but that was just to protect my family. It certainly had nothing to do with any desire on my part to serve James in any way. That was for damn sure.

Not that I was a sub type of a person or anything. Though if I were… Edward Cullen would be the type of man I could understand someone actually _wanting _to serve.

I was starting to think about the gratification that a sub might feel when pleasing her Master. _Could it actually be a fulfilling experience? _That was so far from what I had known. I never really thought much about it before. Though now that I was in this situation with a man I actually respected I was suddenly starting to view the whole Dom/sub relationship in a whole new light.

Of course I couldn't let Edward know any of this. I didn't want him to feel like I thought I was really his sub or anything. We'd need to be excellent actors over the next few weeks. As an actress I would need to get into my role. My character happened to be Edward's sub. It would actually be quite nice to NOT have an internal hate fest going on with every command he would give me, like it always was with James.

Even though I'd been a slave to James for several months I honestly felt like I was about to experience BDSM for the first time ever. I was on some level quite curious to see what it would be like.

_How would it feel to have Edward for a Dom?_

After a quick shower I changed into one of my best drab black outfits and headed off downstairs.

From the foyer I could see Edward sitting at the kitchen table, sex hair scattered all about his head, those deadly green eyes scanning the New York Times. He was just as stunningly beautiful in the morning as he was at night. No surprise there. I bet he wakes up looking scrumptious.

_Mind in the game Bella_.

I cast my eyes to the floor.

Showtime.

"You may enter." Edward commanded impassively without looking up from his paper.

I slowly walked to his side. I noticed Eric was sitting on a stool at the island. He was texting someone on his cell phone; I wondered who.

"Did you sleep well? You may respond." His tone was much cooler than I was used to.

"Yes" I replied. I had no idea what to call him Master, Sir, Greek god? _Who freakin knew?_

"It looks as though we need to go over my rules." Edward lowered his paper to the table. He slowly eyed me with great intent. What was he thinking? He seemed so different. He was so composed.

"You'll address me as Sir. Do you understand? You may respond." his eyes locked onto mine and I felt my breath catch.

"Yes Sir." I uttered.

"Good girl." He cooed.

"I would like you to have a bowl of cereal and fruit for breakfast today. Then you'll meet me in the playroom. Eric will show you where it is. Is that clear? You may respond." His velvet tone was deeper but just as alluring.

"Yes Sir." I bit down on my lip. I was freaking nervous. What if I messed up in front of Eric, who had now stopped texting and was watching Edward and my exchange attentively?

"You'll meet me in the playroom in thirty minutes." He folded his paper and stood up from the table. He was in a pair of faded jeans and a white T-shirt. I wasn't used to seeing Edward dressed so casually. It suited him quite well though. Then again I couldn't really imagine much that wouldn't suit him well.

"The cereal is in the pantry." He pointed to a door near the refrigerator. Then he paused as if in contemplation.

"Are you lactose intolerant? You may respond. " he asked with great interest.

"No Sir, I'm not." _That was an odd question._ _Why would he want to know that?_

"Very well. Enjoy your breakfast, Bella." His back was to Eric. His voice was still cool but his eyes softened a bit right before he turned to walk away.

"Thank you Sir. I will." I had to fight back the smile that threatened to appear on my face. Smiling at Edward was a habit that would be difficult to control.

*****************

After breakfast Eric lead me to the playroom. It was nothing like James' playroom, yet it was quite similar to Jasper and Alice's.

The ivory walls had a stucco like finish to them. There was a sleek looking bondage bench in the center of the room. I noticed a large cabinet against the right wall. _Wonder what lurks in there?_ The hardwood floors were made of cherry wood. The walls were lined with wrought iron lanterns that gave off a soft glowing light. Dare I say it was cozy. In a BDSM kinda way.

I made my way to the center of the room. Edward wasn't there yet. I dropped to my knees on a pillow no doubt Edward had laid out for me and bowed my head. Several minutes later I heard footsteps enter the room.

"Rise." He commanded. I stood up all the while keeping my head bowed, eyes cast to the floor.

There was complete silence for several seconds. I was dying to look up at him but I refrained.

"There will be no contract since you're already contracted to James. However, as my sub you'll be expected to abide by the rules we are about to discuss. I will not tolerate disobedience Bella. Do you understand? You may respond." His tone was even cooler than it had been in the kitchen.

"Yes Sir." I replied still fighting the urge to look up into those eyes of his.

"I will keep this very simple. You will eat three nutritious meals per day. You will get at least eight hours of sleep each night and you will exercise for a minimum of one hour each day. I have an exercise room here that you will make use of. You will take a multivitamin every morning. Do you understand?" He barked.

"Yes Sir." I could handle that. With James there was really only one rule... to torment Bella as much as humanly possible. So I'd say Edward's rules were much better. Then again _everything _about Edward was _much better_. Just sayin'. There was silence again and this time I simply couldn't resist looking up at him. _He mentioned nothing about my not being allowed to look at him._

_Holy crap!_ I was totally unprepared for what I saw.

Edward had left the building…or so to speak. It certainly wasn't _my_ Edward standing there steely gazing down upon me. There he stood in full Dom mode. Gone were his soft green eyes and his playful smirk. I was starting to wonder if he was acting at all or was I merely seeing another side of him?

"When we're in the playroom you may not speak freely. You may speak freely in the sun room only, unless I command you otherwise of course." he bellowed his hands clasped behind his back.

"As my sub you must trust that I will not push you past your limitations. In the unlikely event that you need to stop a scene our safety word will be _epiphany_. You will use this word only in an emergency situation. Therefore I expect you to use it wisely. Do you understand? You may respond." I was biting my lip again. Suddenly it seemed everything was so intense and I wasn't quite sure how to feel.

"Yes Sir." I uttered softly.

"In your bedroom you'll find that I have left a checklist of soft and hard limits for you to fill out and return to me. From this moment forth you will abide by my rules. Any errors or misjudgments on your part will result in swift disciplinary action." I felt a chill go down my spine as I recalled how invigorated Edward looked after flogging Tanya.

He definitely had been enjoying himself from what I could see. Not that I could blame him, I would enjoy flogging that little bitch too. _Who wouldn't?_ I knew Edward wasn't demented like James.

_No one_ was demented like James.

"You'll cook and serve all meals. You will not dine with me unless invited to do so. Do you understand? You may respond." His eyes were boring into me.

"Yes Sir." I could feel a blush rising to my cheeks. Damn. I was trying to remain cool. Now I looked like a scared little girl. Edward continued in his business like tone.

"When you enter my playroom you'll go to the center of the room and drop to your knees awaiting my command." he brushed my ponytail off my shoulder.

"Take your hair down Bella." He commanded.

I did as he asked while maintaining eye contact with him. I just couldn't look away for some reason. I was entranced in the moment. In this new Edward I was getting to know.

"I don't like your hair up like that. You'll keep your hair down." I was trying to read his expression. But I couldn't. He was so poised and serene.

Where was that hot tempered, bar fighting, out of control Edward I had first met? Can someone really change so drastically in such a short period of time? Or perhaps he's just an excellent actor.

"In this room you'll experience pleasure by my hand. The amount of pain you receive will be based upon your actions. I'm very eager to play with you Bella. Are you eager to please your new Master?" He threw me a crooked smile. He was flirting with me. _Gulp. _I was speechless for several seconds before I finally found my voice.

"Yes Sir." I cooed, realizing I sounded like a freaking fangirl.

_For Christ sake Bella get it together. You and Edward are __**acting**__. _

I could feel the return of the googly eyes on my face. _Shit! Not now._ Not to mention that his Dom persona was doing all sorts of crazy things to my girlie parts.

"We shall see just how eager you are later. For now I'd like you to go to your room and fill out the forms I left on your bed. I will need those forms returned to me before our first scene can be played. We'll be meeting my sister this afternoon at the mall to get you a new wardrobe. Your current attire is quite depressing." He was standing so close to me that I could smell his delicious scent. It was that intoxicating and unique aroma that was just pure Edward. It was freaking delicious. I was sniffing the air like a damn dog.

"I don't like when you hide your body in such drab clothing. I won't have it." He sounded annoyed at the injustice of it.

"You'll return to your room. Eric will come for you when it's time for us to go. Is that clear? You may respond." I looked to the doorway and saw Eric was still standing at his post; all grim reapery.

"Yes Sir." I replied.

"Off you go." He said dismissively.

And off I went. Briefly meeting my new Master was really quite the tease. I was filled with all sorts of conflicting emotions. Mostly I was curious as to what kind of pleasure would be brought to me in that playroom by Edwards's hand.

_Would it be just his hand?_

I realized I should have been contemplating much deeper issues but my mind had taken a nosedive to the gutter and was doing laps in the sewer for a bit.

As I made my way back to my room I wondered what exactly were my hard and soft limits. I had no clue.

Surprisingly I found I was eager to find out. It truly was like a whole new world opening up to me.

* * *

I spent almost two hours in my room going over the list Edward had laid out on my bed for me. He didn't exaggerate when he told me he was prepared for every eventuality. This list didn't look like a list just googled and printed off the Internet. Though I had never actually seen a hard and soft limits list in my life, this one looked like the real deal.

As I went over the items on the list I couldn't help but imagine Edward doing some of those things...to me. Yep, mind in the gutter again. _Really Bella you're turning into quite the little ho._

I mean honestly I've always been very curious about sex and eager to experiment and to just be free. All my life I carried around a good girl reputation, but I was no prude.

I use to imagine the sexual side of myself as an alluring and seductive woman. Someone like Dita Von Teese. Don't laugh. It could happen. Sexy me was nothing like the blushing klutz that was Bella Swan. Though meeting James kind of stifled that side of me pretty quickly. Dita took off like a bat out of hell once that psycho entered my life. I had no interest in men or sexual pleasure for the longest time. And I do mean the _longest _time.

Though it seemed like from the very first night that I met Edward Cullen I found myself fighting to keep Dita from pouncing on him. For Christ sake, I freaking mauled him within hours of being in his home. What was happening to me? I looked down at the extensive list before me.

_Anal_

_Edge play_

_Electro Play_

_Piercings_

_Same sex_

_Shaving/waxing_

_Single tail _

The list just went on and on.

_Would he really do a 'real' scene with me? _

_What would it be like? Everything would be so new with him. The differences between experiencing BDSM with Edward in comparison to James would be like visiting Disneyland on a bright sunny day compared to going during a massive freaking earthquake. Totally opposite experiences. _

_Will I like it? _

_Will he like it? _

_Oh my, what if I like it and he doesn't?_

_I may be a freak like that you never know. What if I like Electro Play? Whatever the hell that is. _

Why did I suspect that anything Edward did to me would be appealing? _Uh... because you're a sewer swimming ho for him remember? _Was I really that smitten with this guy? That thought was the freakiest of all.

Soon after I finished the list Eric knocked on my door to retrieve me. I didn't speak or do anything out of the norm. I kept my head down, eyes cast to the floor. Even when I sat beside Edward in the car I kept my head lowered.

Edward turned on the radio and every now and then when he would switch to another station his hand would brush lightly across my knee. I knew he was trying to tell me everything was alright and I really wished I could tell him how safe I felt with him, so he wouldn't worry.

"We're here," Edward announced once we reached the mall. I gazed out the window and recognized exactly where we were. I knew for a fact that this was one of the most expensive malls in the area. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to stop myself from uttering my discomfort with Edward spending so much money on me. It was so unnecessary.

"Alice is waiting inside for us." He whispered to me while pretending to brush my hair behind my ear. He turned to Eric and talked in a stern voice to him.

"Stay in the car. I don't need you with me while I'm shopping." Eric looked as if he might disagree but the look on Edward's face made him keep quiet. I thought it was a very wise move, because even I felt slightly afraid to say anything to Edward while he had that look on his face.

When we entered the mall I immediately started looking for Alice. We walked past Burberry, Armani and Barneys. Still no pixie. I noticed a few shoppers eying my drab fashion sense with disgust.

_Freaking snobs._

Just as I was about to tell Edward that I didn't think this was a good idea I heard a loud and high pitched sound ring out behind me.

"BELLA!" Alice screeched as she lunged on top of me with her arms open wide.

I was struggling to keep my balance and almost lost the battle. Thankfully, Edward was standing directly behind me and held my shoulders as they swayed.

"Hi Alice," I squeaked out almost laughing at her enthusiastic welcome.

Edward had warned me not to discuss Jasper's behavior with Alice while we were at the mall. He didn't want to talk to her about it in that setting. I couldn't help but to be curious if she knew that Jasper was at James' party. She certainly didn't seem any different from her usual bubbly self.

"How are you honey? I'm so glad you're staying with Edward. Don't you worry about a thing. We're gonna take care of everything." She had that gleam in her eye that always brightened my spirits.

"I pretty much gave up trying to talk you Cullen's out of anything. I don't know why I even bothered to try." Alice simply nodded her head in agreement.

"Come on we have a surprise for you," she said in her sing-song voice. She grabbed my hand and dragged me into the restaurant that we were standing in front of. We made our way over to the bar. I suddenly saw a very familiar head of shiny black hair high above the crowd.

"Bells!" his eyes were full of warmth. He wrapped his arms around me in a bear hug that only Jake could give.

"Is it safe for us to be seen in public like this? I can't even think of what James would do if he found out." I spoke softly in his ear as he held me close. I felt my stomach turn at the thought of the wrath of James.

"Don't worry. I've been keeping tabs on Mr. Psycho. He's quite busy with his new plaything right now." Jake let me go but then quickly wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Great choice by the way, Alice. Your girl Tanya is amazing. She's just what we needed." His eyes grew wide.

"Uh, I wouldn't exactly call her _amazing_," I mumbled. Many other terms sprang into my mind for that girl but amazing wasn't one of them.

"Thank you Jacob. I had a feeling she'd be just the right girl for the job." Alice replied.

My eyes drifted over to Edward...as usual. That boy was like a freaking magnet to me. I was powerless to the pull that I felt towards him.

He was sulking. His bottom lip jutted out. I wanted to kiss that pout away. I wondered why he was sulking.

_He was fine just a few minutes ago. Then Jake mentioned Tanya. Did he miss her? Maybe he felt like he got the short end of the stick in this arrangement. _I didn't like that thought very much. What did these men see in that tramp anyway? I just didn't get it.

"Good work Edward. Thanks for getting Bella away from that wacko. Now we have to make sure she never goes back," he stated with conviction.

"I have no intention of letting that madman anywhere near Bella ever again." Edward said with a growl. His eyes were on fire. I saw a touch of the Edward I had first met.

"Um…guys? Right here. I can hear you." I pointed to myself.

"Sorry Bells. I just want to make sure Edward and I are on the same page." He eyed Edward carefully. There was some sort of weird eye contact thing going on between the two of them.

"Can we not talk about James for just this once and enjoy this afternoon together? Please? I really just need an afternoon to feel slightly normal even if it's only for a few hours." My voice was pleading. I sounded pathetic but I couldn't help it. I was so tired of spending all my time talking about that crazy person.

They all agreed to my request. Probably because I looked like I was about to go over the edge. As long as I didn't have to hear that name for the next few hours that was all I cared about.

"Alright boys shall we get started? We need to get Bella a new wardrobe…desperately." Alice was looking over at me like I was a pauper.

_Not you too Alice._ I mean yeah okay I looked a bit like a homeless Wendy Addams minus the braids and the headless doll, but hey I've had other things on my mind lately. Being a slave to a psychopath leaves little time or desire to be a fashionista.

I didn't realize when I stepped foot in the mall that I was about to be used as Alice's personal dress up doll. She was so excited I just couldn't rain on her parade. Not after all she'd done for me. Next thing I knew I was begrudgingly entering a trendy boutique.

Everywhere I looked I saw Paris Hilton wannabes. A bunch of wealthy bubble-heads saying things like "We're hot." It was just so_ not me._ Alice led the way bouncing around ahead of us.

I had to stifle a giggle watching her bop around to the dance music that was blasting throughout the store. Before I could say Gucci that little pixie had two armfuls of clothing.

"Okay this should get you through this week. I just want to make sure they fit properly. Follow me." I shook my head in awe and did my best to keep up with that tiny ball of energy. As I walked towards the changing room I heard Edward's angry voice growl.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" I spun my head around to see his frosty green eyes cutting into the back of Jake's head. I stopped abruptly causing Jake to collide right into me. In an instant Edward was by my side.

"You can't seriously think you're going into that dressing room with her?" He spit out at Jake.

"I don't see how that is any of _your _business." Jake barked out in response. Tension quickly filled the air. I put a hand on each of their chests to try and defuse the situation.

"Hey guys relax. I thought you two worked so well together... remember? What's the problem here?" I chirped out trying to sound unaffected by the obvious animosity. By the looks on their faces I didn't succeed. Two sets of eyes were now glaring at me.

"Bells I think the problem here is that Edward seems to think you're an actual possession of his. Would you like to clear that up for him or shall I?" He looked over to Edward and a devilish smirk appeared on his face.

"No I'd say the problem here is that your good _friend_ Jake seems to think he has a right to invade your privacy." They were both seething.

_Crap! A pissing contest. Really? You gotta be kidding me._ I let out a long dramatic sigh.

"This is why men don't belong in malls. They take all the fun out of shopping." Alice quipped.

"Jake I know you're just dying to try on that green miniskirt and all." I grabbed a miniskirt from the top of the stack in Alice's left arm and held it up to his waist.

"Ooh la la," I teased. "Very sexy." Alice was giggling and I couldn't help but to join her. Jake was scowling at me.

"Hardy har har har Bells. You're such a riot. We used to always do _everything_ together. How many times have I helped you pick out your clothes? What the hell? I don't see the issue here." He grumbled pushing away the miniskirt that actually did go quite nicely with his complexion and eyes I might add.

"Aw come on Jakey stop being so sensitive. I didn't realize how important women's clothing were to you." I taunted him again. I couldn't resist. Jake and I _always_ played around with each other. It was just pure instinct. Jake was right though; I couldn't even begin to count how many trips he and I took to the mall together.

I always dragged him to the dressing area to help me pick out my clothes. I hated trying on clothing and if I went with the girls it always ended up being a long drawn out ordeal. If I went with Jake I got quick thumbs up or thumbs down from him as I stepped out of the changing booth. Simple. Uncomplicated; just how I liked shopping to be.

_Unlike today._

"Whatever. Don't blame me if you end up in there for hours and hours." He brought his face down to my level. "You're just jealous because you know damn well that green miniskirt looks cuter on me." He said with a wink.

"Puh-lease with those hairy ass legs of yours? I don't think so." I ruffled his hair a bit. I was so relieved that Jake had cooled off and was actually joking around with me. Though for some reason Edward looked even angrier now. That man was complicated that was for sure. I never knew what the hell he was thinking. I never had a problem reading men before. My father, Jake and even James I could easily read. Well, okay, it took me a little while to read James but he was purposely trying to deceive me.

Edward though…that guy was a total mystery to me. I wondered if I'd ever figure him out.

Two hours and oh about fifty outfit changes later we had finally finished operation Bella Fu Fu girl. I had to fight hard for a few pairs of skinny jeans, a couple of camisoles and some button down sweaters. That's all I really needed. I fully intended to pay Edward back every penny for this crazy shopping spree his sister had orchestrated. Why should he buy my clothes? It was ridiculous.

I gave Jake and Alice each a warm hug good-bye and we promised to meet again as soon as possible. Jake said he was still working on getting some sort of damaging information on James.

I didn't want to discourage him or anything but in my heart I knew that just wasn't gonna happen. James was flawless at covering his tracks. I decided I wasn't gonna waste my time thinking about him any longer. I had a three week leave from hell and I was gonna make the best of each moment.

Even if I would be dressed like a damn prissy pot. I could do prissy. How hard could it be?

A prissy pot ...googley eyed… _sort of_ sub.

_Who could resist such a thing?_

*********

**EPOV**

I was sitting at the table waiting for Bella to serve dinner. Eric was standing behind us watching every move we made. That was getting old real fast. _Man I wish that fucking leech would go the hell away._

Dinner smelled incredible. Although I knew I should have been enjoying my first home cooked meal from Bella, my mind was otherwise occupied. I kept thinking of our afternoon at the mall and how Bella acted around Jake. It was as if she was a completely different person. I've seen glimpses of this person before like when Bella got mad at me at Alice's party or when she found out about the sub swap, but around Jake she was ONLY that person. A feisty yet very cute kitten. She was so playful and cocky. I was envious of their close bond the whole afternoon. I wished she could be like that with me.

I was so jealous of Jake knowing this side of Bella...her true self. I wanted to talk to her about the day and be casual with her and maybe let her be free and be herself with me too. But friggin Eric was monitoring our evening as if he had to write a report about it later. _He probably did. I bet James waits at night for detailed information about my interactions with Bella._

I wanted to talk to her but since we weren't in the sun room she wouldn't be able to talk freely to me. I figured I could ask her anyway but in an impassive way. When she placed my plate in front of me I ordered her to get a plate for herself and join me. Finally Bella took her seat and I chewed silently on my delicious steak thinking of a subtle way to ask my questions.

"I take it you enjoyed our day out?" I queried in a none-interested way. Then I remembered she wouldn't reply until I gave her permission. "You may answer all my questions through dinner tonight, Bella."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you very much." She looked at me through her long lashes and smiled sweetly.

Eric couldn't see Bella's face because he was practically standing behind her chair but he could see me so I had to take care not to give her away with my facial expressions.

"That's good." I replied in a clipped tone. I was happy she got a few hours to be herself. I wished I could take her out every day but sooner or later it would make Eric suspicious.

"It was good that we met Alice and her friend." I knew it was unfair to raise this issue when she wasn't able to talk freely but I really wanted to find out more about her relationship with Jake.

"Yes, sir. It always pleases me to see Alice and her friends. Thank you for allowing us to talk." Bella was now _smirking _at me. Man did I love her playful side.

"As long as you please me." I shot her a meaningful look and she was still smirking at me. The little minx was enjoying that I had to stay in character while she could make whatever facial expressions she wanted to.

"You seemed to like Alice's friend a lot. Are you close?" As soon as the words left my mouth I realized my question was a little risky because it could sound to Eric like Bella was bonding with someone outside her allowed circle. "I mean close to Alice, of course." I back tracked.

Bella raised her eyebrows at me. She understood what I meant with my question and her smirk turned to a devilish grin when she answered me.

"Yes, I like _her_ a lot, Sir. _She's_ my best friend." Bella actually winked at me. I had to control myself before my mouth popped open at her carefree attitude.

She was being quite the little tease and I was enjoying that side of her very much. She was still in a playful mood from the afternoon. I wanted to continue our little game when suddenly the doorbell rang. I looked from Bella to Eric who was looking questioningly back at me.

"I'm not expecting guests," I said in a way of explanation. I motioned to Eric to go and get the door so I could have a minute with Bella alone.

"Don't worry. Just stay in character no matter who it is and I'll handle the rest." I put my hand on hers to reassure her and she smiled half heartily at me.

"Who are you?" I heard Emmett's booming voice before I could even see him.

"Em, don't harass the staff. Come in here. We're having dinner." I barked at him. I didn't want Eric to talk to Emmett. I knew he must have hated that I called him my staff.

"Who is 'we'? You have a guest?" Emmett asked when he entered the room. Rose was trailing close behind him a not so friendly look on her face.

My sister in law was smarter than my brother. She had figured out who my guest was the minute she saw Eric. Rose had always been good at putting two and two together.

"Yes, Bella is here with me. Rose...good evening. To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Emmett?" Fuck! I had wanted to call Emmett and tell him about my plan but I kept postponing it because I really didn't want to get into an argument with him again. That wasn't one of my smartest moves. I should have known that sooner or later Em would show up, especially since I hadn't been to work in weeks. All these years I rarely took vacation time. I had to completely focus on my training and I would never do my job halfheartedly. That would be way too dangerous.

"Ah...So this is why you've been ditching work." Emmett didn't sound angry just surprised.

"How-" He started to ask when I interrupted him in a hurry.

"How come Bella is here and not Tanya? Well that's because James and I switched subs of course. I wanted a less experienced sub than Tanya." My eyes were pleading with him to shut the fuck up and ask questions later. Thankfully my brother and I were always close and it was no problem for him to take my hints.

"Oh...I see. Well, it looks like you got exactly what you wanted." He said knowingly. His eyes focused on Bella.

"Really?" Rose was not as sensitive as my brother. She viewed it as an opportunity to take her frustration over my recent behaviour out on Bella.

"So now you've got little Subella over here instead of uh...Tanya? I sure do hope she serves you well. Though she certainly isn't as attractive as Tanya." I was one hundred percent sure Rose had never seen Tanya or even knew who the hell Tanya was. She was just being cruel to Bella for no reason. It pissed me the hell off.

"Rose, I think that's none of your business. I don't ask about what goes on behind closed doors with you and my brother now do I?" My tone was pure ice.

"Guys! Can you please stop it? Why do you always have to fight? Babe, he's right. It's none of our business. If this is what Edward wants then let him have it. Edward please be respectful to my wife." Emmett had changed so much. I didn't recognize him anymore. He was Mr. Peacemaker now. I wanted to take the fucking stick out of his ass and get my fun loving younger brother back.

"I'll be respectful to her as long as she is to me. Now why did you come here? I don't think you came all this way just to annoy the shit out of me?" I snapped. It infuriated me that they destroyed our peaceful dinner.

I looked over to Bella. She looked hurt and I wanted to kick Rose for being the cold ass bitch that she was. Rose's problem with me was that I never cared much for what people thought of me, plus the very first time I met Rose I managed to insult her.

Emmett used to have a lot of girlfriends back in those days so when he brought Rose to one of our family gatherings I thought she was just going to be one of the many.

When Emmett asked me later that night what I thought of Rose I told him I wasn't surprised he brought home yet another gold digger, another dumb blond. What I didn't know was that Rose was standing right behind me. Ever since, Rose didn't pass an opportunity to pay me back for that first meeting. _Bitch could hold a grudge_. I never cared much about what Rose said or did to me but I wasn't going to let her take it out on Bella. No fucking way.

"You know what. I'm finished with my dinner. Why don't we go to my study?" I turned to my brother to make sure it was clear that I was talking only to him. "Bella, when you finish dinner you may go to your room. I'll call you should I need anything." I wanted her out of harm's way. I certainly didn't trust Rose to be nice to her while Em and I talked.

"Aw, poor little Subella has to finish her dinner all alone. I bet you'll make sure she gets her dessert later won't you?" Rose asked in a sarcastic tone.

"That's enough, Rosalie." I threatened her in a low voice.

"What?" She feigned innocence. "I'm just making sure she gets dessert." Rose was challenging me. I was about to say something really nasty to her when Emmett interfered.

"Babe? Why don't you wait in the car for me? I'll be out in two minutes." He kissed her forehead and ushered her to the door.

"Good night Subella. I hope you're able to work wonders. This guy really needs a good lay to lighten up." She turned to me. "Night, Master Edward." She waved her fingers at me.

I really didn't understand her attitude. What was her fucking problem? So yeah many years ago I insulted her and she paid me back on many many occasions. Why was she being so cruel to Bella?

The night at the club I knew she did it because my actions embarrassed her. I really couldn't understand all her animosity towards Bella though. She never did a damn thing to Rose. Shit, Bella never even defended herself to Rose and she had every right to. I knew Bella was far too graceful than to ever stoop to Rose's fucking level.

"Please go, Rose." I whispered in a menacing manner.

Once she left, my brother and I went to the study. I closed the door behind us and gestured for him to sit down on the sofa. I went to the bar at the other end of the room and retrieved a bottle of brandy and two glasses.

"I need a drink. Can I offer you one?"

"No thanks. I don't have time. Rose is waiting." He said, brushing the air with his hand.

"Listen Edward, I'm not going to discuss this matter with you again because honestly I know you won't listen. I'm just gonna tell you to take care. That's not your scene and you're getting yourself involved unnecessarily. I get it you have a thing for the girl...really, I do...but you're starting to neglect _everything_ for her. You haven't shown up for work in four fucking weeks. Did you think I wouldn't find out that Peter's been covering for you? Even if Aro wouldn't have told Dad, did you think he wouldn't have found out sooner or later?" He was shaking his head in disgust.

"What?" I growled at him. "Aro did what?!" I couldn't fucking believe that asshole had actually told my father on me. _He'll pay for that shit._

"That's not the point Edward. He actually thought Dad knew you didn't show up to work. He was asking him when you're taking flights again. Aro thought Dad had ordered you to office work as punishment for the bar fight." Emmett explained.

"Anyway...Dad's pretty angry and he wants to talk to you. He'll be waiting for you tomorrow morning at nine in his office. Please don't be late." He pleaded.

"Why didn't Dad just call me?" I was a bit irritated by this course of action.

"I told him I wanted to check on you. I knew if he called you that you'd have argued on the phone and probably said a bunch of stupid shit and make everything worse. You need to focus brother and get your act together. We're a family. We're on your side. But you have to be rational." He stated firmly. He stood up and walked over to where I stood.

"I'll go to his office tomorrow morning. Not because he summoned me, but because I had already planned to speak with him." I huffed.

"Edward, I did you a favor. Just say thank you and get over it." He punched my shoulder...hard.

"Thanks. I'd say I owe you one but after your wife's behavior tonight I think we're even. You better tell her to back off Bella." I couldn't hide the anger in my voice.

"Yeah yeah. Good night Big C." Emmett turned on his heels opened the door and left. I stayed at the bar for several minutes the bottle of brandy and the two glasses still in my hands.

I knew sooner or later I'd have to face my father. I just wished it could have been a bit later than tomorrow morning.

I hadn't gotten the chance to find out more about Jane and why she was buying so many shares of Eclipse. I didn't even know if my father knew about it or not. I was so preoccupied with Bella and my training and now I had to face my father without being able to tell him anything other than the information I had from Jake. I rolled my eyes at the thought of Jake.

Thinking of him quickly reminded me of Bella who was waiting for me in her room. She looked so hurt when Rose was mocking her.

_She was in such a good mood before Rose showed up. Damn you Rosalie Hale._ I put the bottle and the glasses back in the bar and left the study to go to Bella's room. It was still just quarter past nine. Eric was standing in front of Bella's door.

"Sir," he nodded at me.

"Eric."

"Sir I wanted to ask your permission to go to the club tonight. I...uhm...forgot some stuff I'd like to get."

"Sure, go ahead. Will you be back tonight or tomorrow?" I inquired.

"Well, if you don't need me tonight I'll be back in the morning."

"I have to leave for an appointment at 8:00 am tomorrow. My sister will come by to keep Bella company. Be back at noon." I commanded.

"I...I um...don't think Mr. James would approve that Isabella stays unguarded for such a long period of time." He was watching his feet shuffle back and forth while talking which gave me the impression I intimidated him. _Good._

"Well, she's not going to be alone. Now is she? My sister will be watching her. You're dismissed." My voice gave no room for any further argument. Based on the fact that this guy worked for James I figured he responded to such treatment obediently. I was correct. He was practically cowering down to me. I was pretty fucking proud of myself.

I was getting used to this new role. Commanding people and having them actually follow my orders. Now if only my friggin family would get off my back things would go much smoother.

"Good night, Sir." He nodded his head before he walked away.

Eric was out of sight in no time. He was probably going to report to James. It didn't really matter to me because everything was going just as planned.

Getting rid of the leech for the night almost made up for Rose's disrespectful treatment of Bella...almost. Nothing could make up for the hurt look on her face as Rose viciously taunted her. I felt my hands balling up into fists.

I quickly knocked on Bella's door.

*********

She wasn't answering the door. _Shit, it's bad._

"Bella? Can I come in?" I turned around to make sure Eric was really gone.

She still didn't answer me and I felt myself on edge. I heard a car outside the house and sighed in relief. Eric was gone.

"Bella? Please open the door? Listen, Eric is gone and it's just us. Let me in, please." I put my ear to the door and heard her music softy playing and then I heard a sobbing sound.

_Is she crying?_

"Okay, I'm coming in." I didn't wait for her to reply. I opened the door and there she was. My sweet angel lying on her bed hidden under the pillows...and she was crying. I wanted to kill Rose for bringing Bella down the way she did.

"Bells?" I used the name Jake had been calling her all day, which only made her cry harder.

"I'm so sorry for what Rose said to you. Please, talk to me?" I was still standing in the open door running my hands through my hair and feeling pretty helpless. There was no reaction on her part at all. I wasn't even sure she heard me.

I started pacing to and from the door trying to think of a way to cheer her up. I decided to give her some time alone and went to the kitchen to get her a glass of orange juice.

When I re-entered her room she was sitting up on her bed with her head hanging down.

She looked so defeated. She had already changed for bed and was wearing a pale blue tank top and pink boy shorts. He face was wet from her tears; her skin was red from where she had been rubbing her eyes. My heart ached to see her so distraught.

"I'm sorry I let myself get carried away like that, Edward." Her words stung me more than she could imagine. She was the insulted one and yet here she was apologizing to me for crying.

"Are you apologizing to me for crying?" I cocked my head to the side and smiled at her hoping she would remember when I apologized for kissing her. A small smile appeared on her face but it didn't reach her eyes.

I handed her the glass of juice and she started sipping it. The silence between us was very uncomfortable and for the hundredth time this night I wondered if she would've been this way if Jake was the one with her now instead of me.

"You know she isn't trying to insult you as much as she's trying to get to me through you," I broke the silence after a while.

"Oh I believe she pretty much meant me, when she called me _Subella_." I saw a flash of the feisty Bella that I came to know that afternoon in the mall.

"Ignore Rosalie...I know I do." I was trying to hold back the anger in my voice.

"I'm not as mad at her as I am at myself for letting her words get to me the way they did." She explained.

I sat down on the bed and reached to take the glass from her. I placed it on the nightstand and extended my hand out to her. I was hoping she would take it and once she did I tugged a little at her arms to move her closer to me. _She was never close enough._ I was very surprised when she crawled into my lap.

I pushed her head back a little so I could see her face. She was blushing a wonderful pink shade and her eyes began to sparkle with…anticipation?

I kept looking to make sure I wasn't mistaken. It was clearly there. I was sure of it.

That's when I suddenly wondered if she honestly DID want to kiss me the night before. Not just out of gratitude but because she actually wanted it too._ When I pulled back from her had I hurt her feelings?_ I had to find out. Before I could even think the words were leaving my lips.

"Did I...," I started then I hesitated for a second. "Did I hurt your feelings by pulling back last night?" It still sounded ridiculous to my ears.

"No..." came her soft whisper. She blushed further and bit down on her lip harder. She was trying to be coy but I could clearly see I was on to something.

"If I did I'm very sorry. I never meant to make you feel rejected. I was trying to be considerate." I cuddled her warm body closer to mine. My fingers were playing with a strand of her hair.

"You've no idea how badly I longed for you to be here with me Bella." _Crap!_ Too much information. Stop talking Cullen. You have no freaking off valve with this girl.

Her palm moved to my cheek and brushed it softly. I lifted my hand to hers, entwining our fingers together. Our eyes met and the atmosphere became electric.

"I promise I only wanted to respect you, that's all. I care a lot for you, Bella, and I want nothing but for you to feel safe with me. I-" She hushed me by putting her fingertip on my lips. Her eyes suddenly grew large.

"Shh. Listen. Do you know this song?" Her question wasn't exactly what I was hoping she was going to say next. For some reason she was now brimming with excitement.

_Will I ever understand this beautiful creature?_

"Excuse me?" I asked, perplexed.

"When I was in hell I listened to this song every single night." Her eyes were filled with emotion. There was deep sadness there, but also something else as well. I couldn't quite place it. She moved her lips closer to my ear.

"This song always brought my thoughts to you. It was like you were right there with me." Her breath felt so warm as it tickled my ear. The hairs on the back of my neck rose.

"_How can you see into my eyes like open doors_  
_leading you down into my core?"_

My body shuddered from the feel of her warm wet lips on my cool skin. Her fingers slowly traced my face, from my forehead to my cheek down to my neck.

"_Where I've become so numb _

_Without a soul my spirit sleeping somewhere cold _  
_until you find it there and lead it back home"_

I leaned my head back and inhaled sharply. She adjusted her body so that she was straddling me and pushed me back to lie on the bed. I couldn't speak. I swallowed forcefully.

Passion was flickering in her eyes. She wanted me too. I couldn't fight it any longer. I needed her.

"_Wake me up inside"_

My breath hitched as Bella seductively led my hand up to her lips and placed feather light kisses on each of my fingertips. My eyes were glued to hers.

_"Call my name and save me from the dark"_

Her head dipped back offering herself to me. I gave up all my resolve. I sat up grasping her by the back of her delicate neck and pulled her closer to me.

"_Bid my blood to run_

_Before I come undone_  
_save me from the nothing I've become"_

She was inviting me. My mouth found that sensitive spot right beneath her ear...my lips parted and I couldn't help the moan that escaped from my lips as I tasted her tender skin.

She shivered and I brought her nearer to my chest. She was faintly whispering the lyrics but it seemed to me she wasn't even aware of it. Her eyes were closed and her fingers were entangled in my hair. I don't know who started to move first but I was suddenly aware of us passionately grinding our bodies together in sheer need.

I flipped us over so that I was hovering above her. Bella's dark hair fanned out across the white sheets beneath her.

She was simply breathtaking. I licked my lips. I tasted the faint trace of Bella's skin on them.

_Delicious. _

Her eyes were hooded. I really wanted her to show me that she wanted this to happen. As if she had heard my silent question Bella opened her eyes and smiled shyly at me. She sat up so she could touch my face. She turned my head slightly to the left.

She trailed soft kisses all along my jaw line from my chin to my earlobe and I stifled a moan when I felt her teeth graze it. I turned my head to find her mouth while I laid her down.

Our kiss quickly grew desperate and our hands were frantically traveling all over each other's bodies.

"Bella...?" I asked carefully when we came up for air. I was panting. This was it. If she didn't want me to go any further she had to say something NOW.

"Shh....I want this, please, Edward," she pacified me.

I reached for the hemline of her tank top lifting it off her body and then tossing it to the floor.

I gazed at the sight before me. She was stunning. Her long silky brown hair covered her ivory skin. I brushed her hair off her shoulders and feasted my eyes on two of the most perfect breasts I'd ever seen.

I licked my lips and instinctively my hands reached out to touch them while at the same time I felt Bella's little hands yanking at my jeans. I caught her fingers in mine and looked down at her, amused.

"A bit eager, are we?" I smirked at her.

"If you don't slow down Bella I'm gonna lose it before we even start." I wasn't kidding.

I was so hard it was painful. At that point if she even touched my dick I probably would have exploded in my pants like a teenage boy. I wanted to savor every second with her.

"Please don't make me stop," she pleaded. Her enchanting doe eyes looking up at me full of innocence. I nearly came in my pants.

I seriously hadn't thought she would want me with the same intensity that I wanted her, not after what she went through the past few months. And here she was not only _wanting _me_…_ but _taking _me.

I pulled my shirt up over my chest and tossed it aside eager to feel her skin against mine.

She moved her hands up to my chest...her nails dug into my nipple and I groaned both in pleasure and pain.

Her perky mounds bounced as her body swayed beneath me. Her pink nipples were fully aroused and just begging for my attention. My tongue darted out in anticipation. I pinched one and then lowered my lips to its perfect twin. I sucked and nibbled at them both playfully. _She tastes as sweet as sugar._

I raised my head anxiously when I heard her moan. _Did I hurt her?_ She was smiling with her eyes closed.

I was amazed to no end...she was _enjoying _the sensations I was giving her. Believe me; I imagined being with Bella MANY times. She's starred in ALL of my recent fantasies.

Though I always imagined that if I ever did get the chance to really be with her it would be gentle and slow.

This was explosive and frenzied.

Encouraged by her favorable response I wrapped my tongue back around her sweet nipple teasing it with my teeth while rolling and pinching the other with my fingers...hard.

Her body was flushed…all over. I couldn't help myself from taking little bites all over her beautiful breasts.

_Scrumptious._

I wanted to taste her...everywhere.

I alternated biting each of her pebbled buds, being careful not to break the skin.

Bella arched her back and pressed her groin into me.

"Fuck that feels so good Bella! Don't stop!" I heard myself begging.

She sucked in a sharp breath and an almost painful sound escaped her lips when I grazed her sensitive nipples with my teeth once again. My tongue brushed over her skin and I returned to lighter caressing.

My hands were roaming over her body like I was following a treasure map. I licked and nibbled my way down until I reached the object of my desire.

_Mine...All Mine…_

Her breath hitched. I teased her a bit by rubbing her heated skin through her tiny and very soaked boy shorts.

I paused giving her the opportunity to refuse me, to stop this if she felt we were going too far.

She raised her hips toward me enabling me to slide her shorts down in one swift motion. Once she was free of them she lightly blushed and chewed nervously at her bottom lip.

She was the perfect combination of angel and vixen.

Her pink cheeks were the cutest sight I'd ever seen in my friggin life. My thumb traced her lower lip pulling it out of from her teeth's grip. My left hand crept up her thigh elating a soft moan from her lips. _I want to hear her moaning my name._

"Please," she breathed out.

I knew what she wanted yet I asked her anyway.

"Please what?" My eyes were on fire. I was in a haze of lust.

"Edward, please touch me..._there_," she begged.

I parted her soft moist center with my fingers. My middle finger brushed her most sensitive spot. She was so fucking wet.

_For me._

"Bella you're so beautiful" I crooned. Truer words had never left my lips.

Her body was writhing beneath me. My fingers dove deep inside her secret garden. I wanted to taste her sweet juices on my tongue. _I bet she tastes just like strawberries. _

"Unnnngh..Edward...Please...God...I need to feel you...inside me...ahhhh...Please!" She gasped in a shaky voice.

I felt my cock eagerly twitch at her request. Bella began moving her body to get any friction she could. I didn't want to torture her any longer. Hell I didn't want to torture _myself _any longer.I removed my fingers making sure to lick them fucking clean.

_Yep... just like fresh strawberries and cream. Pure fucking heaven._

I positioned myself between her legs and took off my pants in a frenzy. My dick immediately sprung free with only one mission.

It wanted Bella….bad.

It struck her sweet spot briefly causing me to hiss. No more waiting...I pushed her thighs apart and Bella curled those luscious legs behind my back digging her heels into my butt bringing me closer to her.

My hands gripped her hips and with one firm push I entered her heavenly walls. It was pure fucking bliss_._ We both let out a loud moan of ecstasy.

Bella arched her back, opening herself up to me to enter her even deeper.

"Fuck...Christ… Bella, you feel amazing." I was lost in the feeling of being inside her. She was tightly wrapped around me. She parted her lips exhaling slowly.

I pushed into her as deep as possible and when I reached as far as I could Bella hissed. Her eyes were now open looking into mine intently. I leaned down brushing her lips with my own...the tip of my tongue drawing tiny circles on her lower lip. When she opened her mouth to welcome me in I devoured her in a passionate kiss.

Her body felt softer …warmer…tighter…more incredible than I'd ever experienced before.

"Edward...more please..." She stammered between thrusts. Bella panting my name was fucking incredible. I thrust harder into her. She began nibbling on my neck and I groaned in pleasure and pumped even harder.

"YES!..ahhh...more..." She cried out.

I took control so I could give her what she wanted and pushed faster and deeper into her. I pounded stronger with each thrust pushing us both closer to our release.

The sounds of our grunts and groans of pleasure filled the air. I was pummeling her into the bed. Her sweet moans of delight fed my passion.

With every thrust I paused deep inside of her before pulling almost all the way out only to thrust deep into her heavenly body once again with firm pushes.

Soon we were both gasping for breath. I felt her muscles clench tightly around my cock with such force.

"B-Bella...love...-don't hold...b-back." I couldn't hold out any longer. I felt like I was gonna explode into a million pieces but I wanted her to cum first. I needed her to cum first so I reached down between us to massage her sweet spot which earned me a pleased purr from my love.

One last stroke and Bella came apart all around me taking me right along with her…body and soul.

My entire body went numb as I spilled my seed into her. I collapsed on top of her, exhausted from the intense orgasm I just experienced.

"Fuck...shit...fuck." I shuddered. My brain switched off and apparently I could only speak in curse words.

"Oh. My. God, Edward," she breathed out.

I rolled to my side pulling her to me so I wouldn't suffocate her with my weight.

We laid there together side by side looking adoringly into each other's eyes. Yeah, corny I know, but I just couldn't take my eyes off her. She was positively glowing.

Our legs were tangled together like strands of licorice. My arm possessively flung across her waist.

No words were spoken. It was almost as though we were communicating through our eyes. _ I swear she sees into my very soul_.

We laid there for the longest time just basking in the moment not wanting it to end.

Her eyes began to flutter she was struggling to keep them open. I gently kissed her forehead.

"Go to sleep my angel." I whispered softly in her ear….and she did.

I gazed at her as she lay there, sleeping snugly. I felt like I wanted to protect her from feeling even an ounce of pain ever again. My thoughts turned murderous when I imagined how anyone could ever want to hurt such a sweet girl as this.

I gently brushed her hair away from her face because I simply couldn't keep my hands off her. She began to stir.

"Please don't go. Don't leave me here. I'm so afraid." Her brows were furrowed. She was having a nightmare. I kissed her furrowed brow and she calmed instantly.

I brushed my hand across her cheek and her lips turned up into a small smile. I wanted to fill her days with laughter and her nights with passion.

Could I help her to overcome all of her pain? I had to try.

"Edward." My name rolled off her pretty little lips like a soft breeze.

My heart exploded in my chest. She was dreaming of _me. S_he looked so content. I wanted her _only_ to dream of me.

I was still unsure of her feelings for Jake. I mean after what had just happened between us I was pretty sure she wasn't involved with him romantically.

Yet I knew that he craved her in that way. I recognized it because he looked at her the same way that I knew I did. He cherished her.

He knew her longer…better than I did.

_What if she doesn't know of his true feelings for her? _

_Would that change how she feels about me if she found out how __**he**__ feels about her? _

_How does she feel about me? _

_Jesus!_ I was turning into a frigging girl. _An obsessed girl_. I needed to get control of myself. I rolled onto my back and crossed my arms behind my head.

_Get a grip Cullen!_

I gave myself a pep talk and before I knew it the sun was slowly rising._ I must have dozed off. _

_Shit! I better get up._

I pulled myself away from Bella's warm body not being able to resist placing my lips against hers. I hated to leave her without even a note but I couldn't risk Eric finding it if he disobeyed my order and came home early. It was not likely but I had to be cautious in every way that I could. I didn't have the heart to wake her. Not when she was finally sleeping so peacefully...hopefully dreaming of me.

I crept out of her room and down the hall.

It was time to meet my maker.

* * *

**For being so late we wrote you the longest Chapter so far and we finally got in the long promised Lemon!! Mind you, writing a Lemon is really difficult..who would have thought, right? We have so many great authors here who write perfect lemons and it seems so easy, but let me tell you...till today we were still refining the lemon scene..so be nice!**

**Poor Bella being called Subella was really cruel, right? **

**I guess Edward is in trouble now..oh oh...what do you think? Will he tell Carlisle? How is Bella gonna react when she wakes up and Edward is not by her side? What is Eric doing?**

**Playroom next Chapter or should we give them some more vanilla before?**

**Next Update: depending on you guys!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: OK I will keep this short. RL was busy as always and this time I didn't even contribute to this Chapter...it's all TropicalSorbet and I myself think she did A GREAT job.. She graduated recently so she had enough on her plate but still she wrote this amazing Chapter! YOU ROCK SWEETy ;-)**

**We did however get some time together to think about where we are going with this story and believe me we KNOW you are going to LOVE what we have in store for you...just be patient with us we are going to post more frequent and soon we hope to manage regular updates the way we used to at the beginning!**

**Thank you as always to our amazing beta HappyMess!**

**DISCLAIMER: WE DO NOT OWN THIS CHARACTERS STEPHENIE MEYERS DOES!**

**

* * *

**

Chapter 10

**EPOV**

I ran my hands through my hair for about the millionth time. I didn't know why I even bothered brushing my damn hair it always ended up a friggin mess regardless.

I was standing in front of the skyscraper that was home to Eclipse Airlines'corporate headquarters. Since the moment I'd left my house I'd been thinking of what exactly I would be telling my father.

_The truth? A lie? Perhaps a bit of both?_

I could never stand liars and I was certainly no phony, but seriously how could I tell my father the truth about what was going on in my life? _Would he even believe me?_

It used to be so much easier being around him when I was younger. We were close back then. I started to wonder when it was we drifted apart and why. Maybe when I became my own person and started to question his rules? Was it when my father stopped overlooking my misjudgments? I didn't know and I wasn't exactly in the mood to take a trip down memory lane.

I entered our building with still no clue as to what the hell I was going to say to him. Most of the employees were gaping at me; a few had the audacity to start whispering to each other as I walked past them.

_God only knows what the damn rumors are about now._

I was early. I still had thirty minutes until my appointed time and I was hoping Jessica was instructed to let me in as soon as I arrived, because I wanted to get this over with as soon as possible and return to Bella.

Yes, I was still obsessed with her, even more so after what had happened between us the night before. I really hoped she didn't regret it because I knew I sure as hell didn't. Yeah it was sudden and all considering the short length of time we'd known each other, but everything between Bella and I had been like that from the moment we met, sudden and intense. Why should our sex life be any different?

Just thinking about having a sex life with Bella was doing things to my pants that shouldn't be happening to me while going to meet with my father. I pushed my thoughts of Bella aside.

I walked to the elevator and pressed the button. I waited …and waited…and waited some more.

_How come I never noticed how long this damn thing takes to arrive?_

The seconds passed and I was still feeling hundreds of eyes on me. _Oh what the hell..._ I turned slowly and glared at the employees, challenging them to keep looking at me. I'd done nothing wrong and I wasn't going to let myself be intimidated by a bunch of gossip mongers. One by one they started to pick up their work and move along. I sighed in relief when I finally heard the ping of the arriving elevator.

My father loved a good view, so his office was on the top floor. Actually all of our offices were. I knew the employees called it the C-Level, as a reference to us Cullen's being located there. When I reached our floor I turned left to enter the grand hallway leading to my dad's office. Of course he had the largest one in the entire building. The hallway alone could easily compete with a small family house. My dad loved everything to be massive, ostentatious and grandiose. He believed people needed enough room to widen their horizons and grow.

When I finally reached his assistant's desk I staggered to an abrupt halt when I saw it wasn't Jessica sitting there.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" I blurted out before I could even filter my words...I was quite surprised to see Lauren sitting there instead of my dad's usual PA. She was gloating.

"Good morning to you too, Edward." Her voice was excessively sweet. "I'm Mr. Cullen Senior's current assistant. Didn't you hear? Jessica is taking a small sabbatical." Her smile reminded me of the Cheshire cat in Alice in wonderland. It was cocky as if she were enjoying some private joke.

"No, I didn't know. So why are you here? You're a flight attendant not an assistant," I remarked.

"True, but I decided it was time for a _change_ and when I heard the boss personally needed a hand I just couldn't resist. You know how much I like to be helpful." She was talking to me in riddles. There was a subtext to what she was saying but I had no idea what it was and I had no time for Lauren's little games.

"Whatever Lauren, I'm going to see my father. He's expecting me." When I started to move she held up her finger as if to chastise a child.

"According to my calendar your appointment is at nine. You're early." Her smile was still in place and I noticed she was enjoying this… a lot. Way too much for my liking.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" I snapped.

"Mind you Edward. This is now the second time you've cursed at me, although I'm just doing my job and have been nothing but polite to you." It was obvious she was trying to provoke me when her eyes lit up by my lapse of control.

_No fucking way am I letting this little wench cause me to lose control._

I took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly.

"Lauren" I spoke in a much deeper tone while locking my eyes sharply onto hers. Dominantly.

"This is not very complicated. I'm quite sure my father would like to be made aware of my presence here. Is that not your job or perhaps I'm mistaken?" I used my trained authority and I could almost see the disappointment in her eyes. She failed to achieve whatever outcome she formulated in her mind. Her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"I'm sorry Edward but he's in an important meeting. You'll have to wait." She seemed thrown off by my sudden change in temperament.

_Ah..._ so you t_hought you could get to me so easily._ _Was I really that easy of a mark before?_ Lauren quickly returned to her work without even glancing my way.

I strode over to the floor length Plexiglas window that looked down over the city that never sleeps. _So much energy in such a condensed space. _That's what I always loved about New York City. It's so alive. New Yorkers didn't put up with shit from no one and not much shocked them. They were as tough as fucking steel. You just have to respect that. I stood there gazing out the window for quite some time before I was suddenly pulled from my thoughts.

"Lauren has my son arrived?" my father's voice asked through the intercom on the reception desk.

"Yes sir." Her voice replied as sweet as candy.

"Would you send him in please?" he instructed.

"Yes of course" she turned and smirked my way. I smirked right back as I headed for my father's large double doors.

"Ah…here is my son." my father announced as he rose from his chair.

"Edward I would like you to meet a friend of mine" he called out to me as I made my way over to his side.

"Mayor Swan this is my son Edward," My father said as he gestured to me. I heard myself gasp out loud and I'm almost positive my eyes grew wider than they'd ever been before.

"Pleasure to meet you Edward. I've heard so much about you." Bella's father extended his hand out to me. I felt myself break out into a cold sweat.

_What is he doing here? Does he know about Bella? _My thoughts quickly turned frantic.

I shook his hand and noticed he genuinely seemed pleased to meet me.

_He must not know about what's going on with Bella or he'd be strangling me instead of shaking my hand._

"Nice to meet you Mayor Swan." I managed to utter almost incoherently.

_Pull it together Cullen._

I wiped my brow. I wasn't one to sweat from panic. Hell before I met Bella I wasn't one to panic at all. I never gave a shit about anything strongly enough to panic. Yet I was becoming quite used to experiencing things like worry and stress lately. It was never really about myself, it was always in some way about Bella. I have to say I didn't like the feeling very much. I could understand why people took medication for that shit. It's a fucking nightmare.

_I wish I had some medication right now. _

"I apologize for monopolizing so much of your father's time." He said letting go of my hand.

I'd done some research on Bella's father just out of idle curiosity. He was the Mayor of the Village of Dobbs Ferry, A small Americana type of place about twenty minutes north of Manhattan. Charlie Swan was a very popular Mayor, beloved by his community. He was the underdog. The man fought long and hard for everything he'd ever achieved in his life and against all the odds. People looked up to him, respected him.

He was known for his tough often vicious stance on crime and had a reputation for being an honest and objective politician. Though the village of Dobbs Ferry was relatively small it had excellent connections. Its residents were quite influential in New York. According to the press, Mayor Swan was the man to beat in the impending Governor's race.

"No need to apologize Mayor Swan." I held up my hand in protest.

"It's Charlie. You can call me Charlie. I'm not one for stuffy labels." He scoffed.

"Yes sir." I replied.

_Sir?_ _What the hell? Didn't the man just say he doesn't like stuffy labels?_

"I mean Charlie," I quickly self corrected as he laughed and patted me on the back.

"Much better. You've got a fine young man here Carlisle." He stated sincerely and I felt pangs of guilt overtake the panic I'd been feeling before it. _Jesus! Another new emotion for me to add to the list. _

I wasn't one to intentionally lie or deceive people. I was always very direct and straight forward. I hated fucking liars, but there I stood lying and deceiving not only my own father but Bella's father too.

_God I'm a fucking sleezeball._

"Yes, so I've been told." was my father's cryptic reply. Oh I knew exactly what he meant by that. As much as his disapproval pissed me off, in that moment I felt I truly deserved it.

"Well I won't take up any more of your time Carlisle." Charlie told my father.

"Edward I look forward to seeing you again at the fundraiser this weekend. You better bring your dancing shoes I hear the band really knows how to bring down the house." He said through a light smile.

"The fundraiser?" I asked my voice sounding an octave higher than I was used to.

"Oh yes, I haven't had the chance to tell you about that. You've been so …busy lately." My father paused briefly allowing his jab at me to hang in the air for a few seconds.

"Charlie has invited our family to support his campaign at his fundraiser this weekend." There was now a warm smile on my father's face, but his eyes were telling me otherwise.

"How nice. Oh...did you say this weekend? I'm so sorry I've made other plans." I'd already begun contemplating a lie as the words were coming out of my mouth.

_I'm such a fucking liar._

"Well you'll reschedule those plans of course. Won't you? What could possibly be so important?" my father pressed putting me on the spot. Of course the horrible friggin liar that I was I couldn't even come up with an excuse of where I had to be. _Shit!_

"Uh, yes of course I'll do my best to be there." I relented knowing I was setting myself up for a disaster.

"Good to hear. I'll see you both on Saturday night then. Don't worry Carlisle I'll see myself out." I barely noticed Charlie walk to the door. I was too busy staring off into space and wondering what the hell I was going to do to get out of going to his fundraiser.

_When the hell did my father become friends with Charlie Swan?_

Though to be honest his name did sound slightly familiar to me when I'd first heard it. My father was a very active member of society. He was on the board of countless charities and had rubbed elbows with so many different politicians through the years. I never actually cared who they were before. Though I was now very curious as to how long and how well my father knew Charlie Swan. I could see from the look on my dad's face that now wasn't the right time to question him about it.

A few seconds passed from the moment the office doors closed behind Bella's father until my father began his speech.

"Edward." He chided in the disappointed tone I'd come to know so well. He let out a pained sigh before he continued.

"Where do I begin with you?" You haven't been to work or to visit home in three weeks. Your mother has been worried sick about you." I could see his temper was escalating with each passing word.

"You….you physically assaulted one of our employees. I'd hoped you would have grown out of your reckless phase by now but the evidence seems quite to the contrary does it not?" he stated and then eyed me curiously.

"I wish I knew what was going on in that brilliant yet troubled mind of yours. Why are you so angry all the time? What causes you to lash out violently at others?" his voice had taken on a more desperate tone.

I looked away. For some reason his _concern_ for me always seemed to piss me off the most and I really didn't want to lose control.

"Do you have any idea what great plans I have for you? Yet you continue to waste your time with such ridiculous behavior. When will you see it?" he brushed his hands through his hair and looked down to his desk. A few moments passed before I broke the silence.

"You want to know what I see? I see that you always automatically assume the worst in me. Did it even occur to you that perhaps the fight I got into with Aro was justified? No it didn't. That would be crazy!" The words spewed out of my mouth with bitterness and disgust.

"How could anything possibly occur to me Edward when you don't tell me about it yourself? I have to hear it all from others. How does that make me look?" he leaned on the edge of his desk, gripping the sides in anger.

I knew my father had a bad temper. My grandmother had told me many times that he was a handful in his younger days. He was usually excellent at concealing it. Except for when he was around me.

The room was quiet for a little while, both of us lost in our agitated thoughts. I knew he was right about some of the things he was saying, but it just pissed me off even more when he was right. Not very mature I realized but it was an impulse. I knew I needed to work on my daddy issues at some point, but it wasn't at the top of my list at that time. Once again I broke the silence.

"Look Dad. I don't want to argue with you. I do have something I'd like to talk to you about though if you'll listen." That was about as close to an apology as he was gonna get.

"Of course I'll listen. When have I ever told you I wouldn't listen?" he questioned defensively.

I let out a long sigh "Why do you always have to answer every question with a god damn question? I never accused you of not listening. I just want to make sure you'll keep an open mind alright?" Now I was being defensive and we were glaring at one another. This was usually the point where one of my family members would intervene. Again there was a tense silence in the room. This time it was my father that broke it.

"Go ahead. I'm listening." he practically growled.

"Well… I guess I should start by telling you that I uh…met someone." I looked down a few moments before hesitantly looking back up again. He looked perplexed.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked suspiciously.

"Christ Dad! What the hell do you think I mean? How many ways can you take that statement?" I yelled. I don't know why I even bothered trying. Clearly it wasn't gonna fucken work.

"Trust me Edward that statement could mean many things. What did you do? Did you get someone pregnant? You have to be careful bed hopping the way you do." Oh here we go again with the manwhore lecture. Been there done that. He was so predictable it was actually kind of amusing.

"Alright look I know in the past I may have enjoyed the company of a few women, but if you would just listen to me for a friggen minute I would explain to you that this girl I met is different. She's actually not like anyone I've ever met before she's...really special." Just thinking about Bella instantly put me at ease. I had to actually fight back a grin. I sensed that my father noticed it because he flinched and looked stunned.

"You're serious about someone? Who is this girl?" he asked. A fascinated expression had now settled on his face.

"Her name is Bella." I wasn't about to tell him her last name given the situation. I'd have to work that out later. _Great,_ even _more deceit, will it ever end? _

"She's a good friend of Alice's. She's actually staying at my house right now. "She uh…" I paused a moment searching for the right words. "She has a very abusive ex-boyfriend." I felt my blood start to boil just thinking of James.

"He put her through hell." I added and even I could hear the pain in my voice.

"I'm very sorry to hear that. He sounds dangerous. Does she have an order of protection against him?" My father was a big supporter of the justice system. He would never understand the rogue taking matters into our own hands approach Alice and I had concocted with regard to James. At times I questioned it myself.

"Not exactly no. She's afraid of what he'll do to her family. He's made threats against them. I don't want to push her into doing anything she's not comfortable with so I'm watching over her myself." Finally some truth is spoken from my lips. I found I was able to look him in the eye.

"That's understandable however Edward if this man was abusive to her then he's a danger to others as well. She has the opportunity to prevent him from hurting someone else." He stated with conviction.

"Not to mention the fact that you can't take on the role that the criminal justice system was designed for. You may have very good intentions, but you're enabling her fears and allowing her to remain a victim. As long as she remains a victim he's still abusing her without even being a part of her life." He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed firmly before releasing it.

"If you truly want to help her to heal you need to encourage her to bring him to justice through the appropriate channels. Does her family know about the abuse she suffered and his threats?" he seemed genuinely concerned and I suddenly felt a sense of relief to be talking about this with him. I hadn't expected that.

"No, her family doesn't know about it. She's very stubborn and she's extremely protective of her loved ones. I just want her to be safe. That's all I care about." I stated honestly remembering to choose my words carefully.

I found myself conflicted. Part of me actually wanted to just tell my father everything. I guess as much as I hated to admit it, I was used to him bailing me out of all my troubles. He'd always been there for me. It was a sure bet that I'd get a lecture and a look of disappointment after the fact, but my father always had my back. I was starting to realize that I actually resented him for that. It didn't make sense, though I knew it was the truth. _How fucked up am I?_

Whether I wanted to tell him everything or not wasn't really relevant because it was Bella's story to tell and I knew she wouldn't want me to get my father involved. I needed to talk to her. I knew she was gonna flip out about me meeting her father.

_Seriously,_ c_ould we ever have a day without a shit load of drama going on? _

"So is this why you haven't been to work for the last three weeks?" a light bulb seemed to have gone off in his head.

"Yeah I knew I wasn't in the right frame of mind to fly. I just didn't want to risk it. I had to help her get out of her situation." The truth seemed to be flowing more easily now. I realized if I just stated the general facts I could at least tell him the basic truth.

"I really wish you would have come to me sooner about all this. Of course I would never want you to fly with anything less than your full attention." He looked away as if trying to process his thoughts.

"So now you've explained your absence from work. Would you care to explain why you haven't been over for a family meal in three weeks?" his tone had gotten colder. I was just was about to tell him to back off when I noticed how tired he looked.

I had never once seen my father disheveled. He was like a friggen game show host or something always a blinding smile and always groomed to perfection. Not a hair out of place and he never lost his cool. He never let you see him sweat. _Unlike me._ Though looking at his face more carefully I saw dark circles beneath his eyes and he looked slightly paler than normal. For the first time ever I wondered what was going on in his life. I lowered my head as I searched for the words. I didn't want to sound vague and I didn't want to lie to him.

"I don't know how to explain what I was going through, but I just needed some time to myself. I never intended to cause anyone to worry. I just couldn't think of anything other than helping Bella break free." Well it certainly wasn't a lie but it was pretty god damn vague.

I'd spoken to my mother on the phone several times over the past few weeks. I came up with excuse after excuse as to why I couldn't come to the house. I'd shut my family out and submerged myself in training to be a Dom. It just felt necessary at the time.

"Listen to me…." My father cautioned and then sighed deeply while brushing his fingers through his hair. I noticed his hair was starting to look like mine. He looked at me with great intent.

"I hope you understand that no matter what you're dealing with we're always there for you. We're a family and will help you through it. You have to want us to be there though. You said earlier that I assume the worst in you. That statement couldn't be further from the truth." He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head before continuing.

"Edward, I find all of the _good_ I see in you has caused my expectations to be so high that I often struggle to reign in my protective instinct to let you find your own way." He paused briefly. A hint of a smile appeared on his lips as though he had a secret he was about to share with me.

"You're a born leader. I've always known that. However, those traits can have both positive and negative attributes. You my child are highly intelligent and extremely determined." He was pointing his finger at me accusingly.

"You're a risk taker and have a fiercely competitive nature as well. I've always believed that if nurtured properly these traits would grant you much success in your life. On the other hand you're dreadfully impatient, incredibly stubborn and wickedly hot tempered, if not controlled properly these traits will cause you to self destruct." His face took on a reflective expression.

"Trust me son I speak from experience." He turned and walked over to the window. He stood there gazing down onto the hub that was the heart of New York. He was absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck. There was silence for several minutes.

"I had a good reason for hitting Aro you know." I blurted out suddenly breaking the stillness in the room. I guess it bothered me that he'd been embarrassed by my actions.

"I'm quite sure you did. Though I'd bet the matter could've easily been resolved in several other ways. Am I correct?" _No!_ Was my first thought. _He touched Bella inappropriately. He's lucky I didn't kill him._ He turned to look my way and I'm sure he saw the angry scowl on my face. Just thinking of that douche bag filled me with rage.

"He had it coming to him." I grumbled "I'm sorry that you didn't hear about it from me though." I mumbled uncomfortably.

"Apology accepted. In the future please refrain from hitting our employees? It's not exactly the reputation I'd like to uphold." He warned.

"Well if we'd stop employing sleazebags I wouldn't have to hit them." I was trying to follow his logic. Why did I always sound so angry and irrational? In my head it made so much more sense.

"I hate to break it to you Edward but you can expect to encounter many sleazebags in the business world and your policy on dealing with them is not going to get you much further than a jail cell." He huffed at me.

"I'm aware of that Dad it was personal with Aro, not business. Speaking of business though there's something I wanted to tell you." I inhaled sharply in preparation for the next topic of conversation.

"What is it?" he questioned attentively.

"Well, It's been brought to my attention that Jane, the crazy woman that runs New Moon Fuel Company, has been buying up as many shares of Eclipse Airlines as she can get her hands on" I laid it on the line straight forward just like I was used to doing.

"How did you find out about that?" he asked inquisitively.

"A friend of Bella's is a private detective. He's been investigating Jane for another reason and came across the information." I shrugged trying to seem nonchalant about my connection.

"Oh." he said coolly. Not at all the stunned reaction I had anticipated.

"I recently learned about that myself. Don't worry I'll deal with her soon enough. If she thinks she can bully me into doing business with her she is greatly mistaken. I do not respond favorably to threats." My father said with a sneer etched on his face that I'd never seen before. I had seen many sides of Carlisle Cullen in my life. I had seen him at his angriest. Hell I think I had _made_ him his angriest, but I had never seen that side of him before. He looked sinister for a fleeting moment and then that moment passed and his calm cool demeanor returned. I was stunned to say the least.

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you knew about it. I'll let you know if I find out any other information." I responded. My father took a seat at his desk and exhaled a deep breath.

"You do that." He said in a tone I recognized.

His wall was back up. In an instant he had regained complete control over his emotions.

_How does he do that? _

It was a struggle for me on a daily basis not to fucken hit somebody, though my training with Sam had actually helped me out a lot with that. I knew I needed to be consistent with it. The only problem was that I wasn't actually a real Dom so I was starting to fall back into my old habits again. Wait…Did I just say not being a real Dom was a problem for me? _I really am all fucked up aren't I? _I quickly eyed my watch and realized I was behind schedule.

"Alright then, I'm gonna get going I have something else I need to take care of today." I clapped my hands together and attempted a weak smile. I wasn't used to smiling at my father, but I actually felt like he'd made an effort to meet me halfway and I was trying to do the same.

"Very well, just please think about my advice regarding Bella. By the way when do I get to meet the woman that has captivated my son?" he asked rising up from his seat.

"She's still very fragile right now dad. I don't want to overwhelm her. She's actually already met Emmett and Rose and I have to say Rose wasn't exactly welcoming." I couldn't tell him what she called Bella without opening up a can of worms.

"Well you know that Rose is many things, but welcoming has never been one of them." He said and grinned widely. "She'll come around. She always does. So then is it only your mother and I that haven't been introduced to Bella?" he inquired.

"Uh…yeah. I didn't plan it that way though." I replied scratching the back of my neck.

"I see. Well how about planning to bring her over one night this week for dinner. We don't bite you know." He teased.

"Yeah I know. I'll talk to her about it tonight and call mom later." I agreed reluctantly.

_Man, Bella is gonna regret ever meeting me before this day is through._

My dad offered me his hand and then pulled me in for a brief man hug. He released me but then brought his hands up to cup the sides of my face looking me directly in the eye.

"I'd like you to take some time off to get your head together, but I want you to promise me you'll come to me from now on and let me know what's going on in your life instead of waiting to be summoned." His tone was firm but there was warmth to it that I hadn't heard in quite some time.

I nodded my head in agreement and quickly made my way to the door.

_That went much better than I'd expected._

I was actually leaving my father's office in a better mood than I was when I entered it. _I never thought I'd see the day_.

I knew my good mood was about to take a nose dive pretty fucken fast because I was going to pay a visit to my sister's backstabbing fiancée and my ex-best friend.

_That fucker has some serious explaining to do. _

**BPOV**

There was a smile plastered across my face when I woke up.

It felt frozen there, as though I'd slept all night with a huge idiotic grin on my face.

Had I really given myself to Edward last night? Well… more like _taken _Edward last night, if you asked me.

Who was that desperate girl begging for him not to make her stop? The images quickly flashed through my mind….

_Caressing his face_

_Putting a finger to his lips_

_Tugging at the buttons on his pants_

Yeah that was me. Though who could blame me, really? He was beyond charming. Though the pull I felt towards him was so much more than that. I mean, yes I've already established the man was devastatingly handsome. At times I found it almost painful to look at all that beauty and perfection.

Even before I'd ever spoken a word to Edward Cullen I saw his outer magnificence. You just couldn't miss it. He was utterly irresistible. Yet I was never the type of girl that threw herself at a man based on his outer appearance alone. I always found those girls to be so damn shallow. If there was one thing I knew about myself it was that I was not shallow.

_Was I? ..._ _No!_

_Uh…Indecisive perhaps, but shallow most definitely not.  
_  
Somehow I felt a connection to him on a deeper level. I hardly knew him. That was true. Though the few moments we'd shared were so intense and meaningful to me. It actually felt like he got me, which was a really tough thing to do since I didn't even understand myself most of the time. Maybe I was imagining it or projecting things onto him that weren't truly there. Yet for some reason, I didn't really think that was the case.

I knew for sure that his touch did _amazing_ things to my body. Not even _just_ in a sexual way. Whenever Edward touched me it felt like every cell in my body started rejoicing. I felt alive.

You know how if you shake up a bottle of soda when you take the cap off there's a loud fizzing sound followed by an eruption of millions of tiny bubbles? Well that's exactly how my entire body feels whenever he touches me. I'd never felt anything remotely close to that before. I just didn't want that feeling to end….ever.

If I could, I would crazy glue that boy's hands to my body. _Note to self.  
_  
The way Edward felt moving inside of me was just...there are no words. Literally there really are no words. I couldn't speak after. All I could do was lay there staring into his bright green eyes like a mute. There were so many things I wanted to say to him. I wanted to tell him I'd never felt so good in my life. I wanted to tell him what his touch did to me. I wanted to ask him if he felt it too. Or if he just didn't want to reject the desperate girl pleading for him to touch her.

I brushed that unappealing thought out of my head as I rolled out of bed.

_Edward must be downstairs with Eric by now._ I wish he would've woken me before he left my room. _He was probably afraid I'd attack him again.  
_  
_I probably would have._

Apparently I had no self control around him and no shame either since I wasn't really feeling all too guilty about it. A vision of myself pouncing on Edward as he tried to leave my bed quickly popped into my head.

_Yeah wise move to sneak away when you had the chance.  
_  
After a quick shower I changed into my new skinny jeans and camisole. I put a light sweater on and headed downstairs.

_It's Subella time.  
_  
I grunted at the thought. How dare she call me that? She spat it out at me with such malice in her voice. I had really wanted Rose to like me. When I first met her I respected the way she protected her family so fiercely. I took no offense to her harsh words towards me since I knew they were coming from a place of love. I could relate to that. I really could.

But the way she treated me the previous night was just downright cruel. It hurt. I couldn't deny that. I was still so angry at myself for crying over it. If there was one thing I just couldn't tolerate it was letting people see my pain. I much preferred to keep it hidden well beneath the surface so deep that even I didn't know it was there.

Some consider that to be denial. I considered it staying sane. How could I function if I were constantly crying and feeling sorry for myself ?

The way I saw it, if someone was going to devote their energy to hurting me physically or emotionally I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me suffer over it. It may seem weird but I felt like suffering over it at all let them win. I knew how to grin and bear it like a pro.

_So why did she get to me so easily last night?_

I pondered that as I made my way to the kitchen. I rounded the corner lost in my thoughts and stopped in the doorway prepared for my command. I scanned the room submissively.

It was empty.

No Master. No Grim reaper.

Where on earth were they?

I peeked out the window and saw there were no cars in the driveway. What the hell was going on? I felt myself start to panic. I didn't even have Edward's cell phone number.

_Why didn't he leave me a note?  
_  
I remembered Edward mentioning that we were alone last night. I hadn't even thought to ask him where Eric went._ Did he stay away all night?_ Now that would be strange. What would make Edward leave without even letting me know where he was going?

_Oh my god!  
_  
_Maybe he regretted having sex with me and decided to tell James he wanted trade me in and get Tanya back? _The insecure girl inside of me thought that made perfect sense.

_No! That's crazy. He would've taken me along with him if that was the case? Wouldn't he?_

I felt myself starting to hyperventilate. _Oh great a freaking panic attack. Really Bella?  
_  
_Maybe Edward just ran out to the store and Eric went with him or something._

_Oh god. Breathe. Just breathe._ I tried to steady my breathing. I walked around aimlessly looking for clues as to where they'd gone when a sudden realization hit me.

I hadn't been left alone once in the last three months. I couldn't believe how freaked out I was by the fact that I was left alone. I guess I was so used to following orders and being watched over that I didn't know how to function otherwise.

_Wow! I'm so fucked up in the head it's not even funny anymore. Okay it was never actually funny, but it's downright scary now.  
_  
I made my way to the family room. It was so warm and inviting in there. I needed to calm myself the hell down.

I really loved Edward's house. It was so homey. There was a big cushy sofa that just begged to be lounged on. In the corner of the room stood a gorgeous baby grand piano, it sparkled in the sunlight that came in through the French doors. I made my way to the marble fireplace at the front of the room and looked through the pictures that accentuated the mantle.

There was a family photo which looked relatively recent. I immediately recognized Alice, Jasper, Rose and Emmett. Edward stood in the back looking uncomfortable for some reason. In the center of the photo were Edward's parents or so I would assume.

They were stunning, of course. Only stunning people could create such a perfect specimen as him. I saw Edwards's strong jaw line on his father's face and his dazzling green eyes on his mother's. Yes he had certainly hit the jackpot with that gene pool.

I stared into the faces of his parents. His father looked tired. Like a man that carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. I knew that look. My father had that look and it pained me to see it on this man's face even though he was a complete stranger to me. I wondered what had caused him to look that way. He had it all. He had the perfect family and he was extremely successful.

There was a smaller much older picture of Edward, Emmett and Alice as well. They were dressed up for Halloween. I picked up the frame excited to get a glimpse of a young Edward. He looked to be about ten years old.

The three of them were linked with their arms across each other's shoulders looking as thick as thieves. Alice stood in the center and was dressed as a ballerina. A very funky ballerina with a tie dye tutu and neon green converse sneakers. Emmett was a soldier with camouflage pants and combat boots. Edward was a vampire.

He wore a long black cape and his face was painted white. The fangs on his fake teeth were painted bright red. There were also drops of blood painted on his chin. He was giving the camera a menacing look. Alice was looking at Edward and laughing. They were adorable.

I nearly dropped the picture frame when the doorbell rang. Before I could move I heard the door fly open and a familiar voice filled the house.

"Bella? I'm SO sorry I'm late. Damn traffic." Alice grumbled.

I put the picture down and darted for the front door. Alice stood in the foyer shaking the water off her coat before she hung it on the coat rack.

"A simple thunderstorm and people forget how to drive. It just makes me insane!" her hands were tightly balled into fists just like Edward did when he got angry.

_Must be a Cullen thing.  
_  
"Hey Alice." I greeted her in an exasperated voice. I practically ran across the house to get to her.

"I'm so glad you're here. I had no idea you were coming. Do you know where Edward is?" I was trying not to show my panic. I mean how crazy would I look to be having an anxiety attack just because I was left alone. _Get a grip Bella.  
_  
"Edward didn't tell you I was coming over? That bonehead!" Alice shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"I guess James' henchman had some place to be last night so Edward told him I'd be here to watch over you until he gets back today. Come on I brought a bunch of chick flicks for us. A Matthew McConaughey marathon awaits you my lady." Alice giggled. Her laugh was infectious. It always made me smile.

"Have you had breakfast yet? I brought us bagels. I'm so excited I get you all to myself today." She grabbed my hand and whisked me off to the kitchen. It was all I could do not to trip over my feet.

"Uh… I'm not very hungry right now. Do you know where Edward went?" Was it even any of my business to ask her? I just found it so unsettling that he hadn't let me know where he was going. _What are you his wife now?_ It wasn't odd for me to be curious though….right? I started to doubt myself. _Oh god I'm a mess.  
_  
"He went to meet with my father." Her smile quickly left her face. "They just need to talk. It'll be fine don't worry. He's come a long way" She gave me a wink. Why did Alice think I had a clue as to what was going on.

"Is your father angry with Edward? Does he know I'm here?" _Lord I hope not._ I felt my stomach drop.

"Honestly Bella my father doesn't talk to me about Edward very often so I really can't say for sure. I know that he feels like Edward has some growing up to do and he gets frustrated by a lot of the decisions he makes. He only wants the best for him, as any father would." She opened the fridge and took out two bottles of water. She handed one to me.

"My thick headed brother refuses to see that though. He's convinced my father is out to get him." She opened her water and took a swig. "I just hope that he doesn't blow his stack today. There's just too much at stake and when it comes down to it… they need each other." Her eyes lowered to her hands briefly and then popped back up to me with that familiar twinkle.

"Let's not spend our time on things that are beyond our control. How are things going here for you? Are you comfortable?" Alice was such a nurturer. I loved that about her. Ever since I lost my mom I noticed I was drawn to people that had that trait.

"Oh yes. I'm very comfortable here. It's just wonderful." I cooed.

_Oh and by the way I attacked your brother in my bedroom last night and felt things I didn't even know were possible. Hmm….Perhaps I should keep that to myself_.

Instantly I felt the blood rushing to my face from thoughts of my deceit. _Damn.  
_  
"Bella? Sweetie is there something you're not telling me?" Alice had a knowing look on her face.

_Crap! Am I that obvious?  
_  
"Um…No…not really." I mumbled still blushing profusely.

"Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything honey. It would always be between you and me. I promise. You know that." she patted my hand and looked into my eyes with sincerity.

I let out a deep sigh. _Will Edward be angry with me for telling her? She's my friend. This is what girl's do right?  
_  
"Well…Last night…I uh…kind of attacked your brother." My eyes shot down to the floor. My face felt like it was about to self combust.

I heard Alice chuckle.

"I see. Am I to assume my brother was an innocent victim in this little attack of yours?" I slowly brought my eyes to her face. She was smirking at me.

"Yeah…Pretty much. I literally begged him to touch me. I'm sorry is it weird for me to be telling you this?" What was it about Alice that made me spill my guts to her every time I was near her?

"Is it weird? Bella you're one of my dearest friends. Please don't ever feel as though you can't confide in me. Just know that I'll give you my advice whether you like it or not." She giggled.

"I could use some advice actually and I'm so glad to have you as my friend." I felt my shoulders slump down. I hadn't realized how tense I really was.

"Okay so you begged Edward to touch you and he said 'Please no! Bella don't make me!' Is that how it went?" she put her hand on her hip and looked at me skeptically.

"Well… not exactly like that. He seemed to want to touch me, but I totally initiated it. I couldn't help it I threw myself at him and took whatever I could get." I sat down on the stool and opened my water. My mouth was suddenly as dry as sand paper.

" Mm hmm. Okay so you initiated it. Welcome to modern times. You wanted something and you went for it. I still don't see a problem here." She mused. Well… when she put it that way it didn't sound so bad.

"I'm just worried that I complicated things now. What if he was just going along with it because he didn't want to reject me?" That really was my biggest fear. I didn't want him to pity me.

"Trust me. My brother never just goes along with anything. Before he met you he was _all_ about himself. Somehow you've changed him. I saw it even before he did. Now you're the one that needs to see it. You didn't take him... Sweetie, he was already yours." I swallowed my water with a gulp.

Honestly, the thought of Edward being mine was very appealing to me. I needed to talk to him though and find out how he really felt. I mean we hadn't known each other long and there were so many obstacles in the way. I just had to know if in a perfect world he could see a guy like him ever being with a girl like me.

"I guess I just need to talk to him." I said giving her a small smile. "Thanks Alice. I don't know what I'd do without you." I was so grateful to have her. I wished there was something I could do for her. She'd done so much for me. Since we met everything always seemed to be about me. It just wasn't right.

"Okay, enough about me. How are things with you? How are the wedding plans going?" I was beyond tired of always talking myself. I always considered myself to be more of a giver than a taker, but lately that wasn't the way it was going at all and it was really starting to bug me.

"Well everything is just about perfect really. I can't wait for you to see the castle. It's so beautiful." Alice was beaming.

"I can't wait to see the pictures." I knew Alice would make a stunning bride.

"Pictures? Hello earth to Bella! Honey you're gonna be there. Front and center. As a matter of fact I've been dying to talk to you about this." she was practically bursting with glee.

"It would be an honor if you'd consider being a bridesmaid for me." She held up her hand when I went to speak.

"Now I know you've got a lot on your plate right now so I didn't want to bother you. Please don't feel obligated. Though, it really would mean the world to me if you'd say yes." Her pretty little face was all scrunched up anticipating my answer, but I couldn't process very much after she said I'd be at the wedding.

"Uh…Alice you are still aware that I'm in contract with a psychopath?" I asked hesitantly. I mean I was all for denial but even I could only go so far.

"Yes I'm perfectly aware of that. I'm also aware that you've been swapped to my brother for the next three weeks. Are you aware that my wedding is only two weeks away?" she asked with a devious sparkle in her eye. _Uh oh! I've seen that look before._ She was up to no good.

"I hardly think James would approve of Edward taking me out of the country." as I spoke the words I realized it was pointless for me to argue with her. I saw she had her mind set on this and I'd learned my lesson already not to argue with a scheming Alice or with a scheming Edward for that matter.

_Did he know about this too? Is he still okay with Jasper marrying his sister and why hasn't he talked to Alice about that situation yet?_

"Oh don't you worry about a thing. James will honor his arrangement as he should. There were no stipulations on travel. Edward will fly us to Austria and you'll be on a totally different continent from that madman for a whole week, with a vast ocean between you." She folded her arms confidently and set her feet in a determined stance.

"Now will you be a bridesmaid for me or not? You'll look absolutely stunning in the dress I had made for you….you know just in case you said yes. " her eyes were looking at me hopefully. I was speechless.

_How long had she had this planned?_

"Ah...I just don't want to cause any problems for you. Your parents don't even know who I am and uh...Well Rose kind of…um hates my guts and –"

"Don't talk so crazy Bella. Believe me my parents will be thrilled to meet you" Alice balked cutting off my objections. "And seriously honey how could Rose hate you? She doesn't even know you. She's just jealous that you're the new girl on the block getting more attention than her. It doesn't take much to threaten her. I know she has a hard shell but honestly honey she's nothing but an insecure little girl beneath that tough exterior of hers. Trust me. She'll warm up to you in time." I found that hard to believe…impossible to believe actually.

"If you're sure it won't be any trouble to you or your family I'd love to be there and I'd be honored to be a bridesmaid in your wedding." I couldn't help but to smile at the look of pure excitement that danced across Alice's face. Her arms flew wide open and they wrapped me up in a warm hug. Next to Edward, Alice gave the best hugs.

"Oh I just know this will be the start of something wonderful for you Bells. I can see it." She sounded so certain that I felt myself starting to believe her. I was swept up in the moment. I felt almost normal again and it was so wonderful.

"Come on. We've kept Matthew waiting long enough." She pulled me off the stool and the next thing I knew we were laughing and crying together as we watched true love conquer it all.

Yeah we were being shamelessly cliché. Though I had to admit it felt so good just being a typical girl hanging out with her friend watching movies on a rainy day. No crazy Master with a demented sidekick in sight. No grim reaper watching over my shoulder. The sounds of our giggles filled the room and I decided to lock that memory up in my mind for a future happy place to use when needed.

Just about noon the doorbell rang. "That must be the Reaper" I pulled myself up off of the soft cushions of the couch.

"The Reaper? Alice asked perplexed.

"Oh. Yeah, that's my little pet name for Eric. He's like my personal grim reaper." He even kind of looked the part if you asked me. He was always dressed in black and looking grim.

Alice burst out into a fit of laughter. "Bella you really have a warped sense of humor. I swear only you could find amusement in your situation." She'd almost fallen off the couch from laughing. She was scrambling back to her spot on the sofa.

"That's nothing. You should hear my nickname for you." I teased as I walked away from her.

"Hey! You better not be calling me Pixie! That damn name has been a thorn in my side for far too long. I mean it Swan!" I was giggling to myself as I opened the front door.

In breezed the Reaper in his usual joyful mood.

"It took you long enough. Tell your Master I need a key. I don't like to be kept waiting." His breath smelled of booze and cigarettes. His clothes were all wrinkled and soiled. If I wasn't mistaken he hadn't changed from the previous night. Though, I couldn't be sure since he always wore black pants and a black shirt.

I bit my tongue I had so many wise ass comments I was just dying to spit back at him, but I didn't want to piss him off. I knew he was just looking for something to report back to James.

"Welcome home." I said politely.

I heard him grumbling as he made his way into the kitchen.

"Oh and by the way I got a message for you from James." he called out to me over his shoulder. My body froze. I hated those words, every single one of them. I slowly made my way into the kitchen and stood before him, my heart racing in my chest.

"I told him how you were probably lounging around the house like a little princess all day today and he wasn't too happy about it." He leered at me.

_When did Eric become so damn cunning?_

While living in hell I'd deluded myself into thinking he wasn't as bad as the rest of them. Now that I've been surrounded by warm and comforting people, his evil streak was becoming blatantly obvious to me.

"He said for me to tell you to heed his warning." he slurred. I'd always suspected Eric was a heavy drinker, but I'd never seen him drunk while on duty before.

"Uh... Okay. I will" I knew that by 'warning' James actually meant death threat. Yeah I got the message alright, loud and clear. It was a strong dose of reality.

_So much for being a typical girl.  
_  
I turned to go back to the family room when I felt his gritty hand grasp my waist. Within seconds I was pinned against the refrigerator with force. His body was crushing mine.

"Where do you think you're going so quickly?" he growled.

**EPOV**

God! It took me friggin forever to reach Jaspers office building. It was on the other side of town and traffic was a bitch as always. The minute I stepped out of Eclipse's main entrance onto the street I noticed the sky turned black, loud claps of thunder rang out. A storm was brewing.

_How fitting._

After a ridiculously long and frustrating car ride I finally reached my destination. I parked in the first available spot and got the hell out of my car as fast as I could. Luckily Jasper's building had an indoor parking garage so I was covered from the vicious storm that had on erupted during my drive there.

I made my way through the lobby practically plowing down anyone that crossed my path. I took the elevator to the third floor and paused for a brief moment as I rounded the corner.

_He better fucken be in there.  
_  
I swiftly walked the few feet that stood between me and my nemesis. With each passing step I felt my anger increase. I knew I had no hope of playing it cool and to be honest this time around I didn't even fucken care. I _needed_ to let out of all the rage festering inside of me. Rage that _he _caused. He deserved every bit of my wrath.

I flung open his office door like a madman on a mission.

His head shot up as the doorknob crashed against the wall with a loud bang.

"Edward? Is everything alright?" he bolted up from his seat.

"NO! Everything is NOT fucken alright!" I roared.

"Care to tell me why you stabbed me and my god damn sister in the back?" I knew my eyes were slits of fire. I could even feel my breath burning my tongue with each word I spoke.

"So I guess we're gonna do this here. Very well sit down." He motioned to the seat before his desk.

"DON'T tell me what to do! What I'd like for you to tell me is why someone I considered my best fucking friend took out a dagger and stabbed me in the friggen back." My hands were so tightly curled into fists that I could no longer feel my fingers. I wasn't even gonna try to pretend I was in control of my anger.

I wanted to hit him…bad. But first I wanted him to tell me why he did it. Not some whiny ass excuse either. I wanted the truth. My eyes were locked onto his. I felt like a predator and he was my prey.

"I understand that you're upset with me. I wish I'd been able to avoid that." He responded in a calm and rational tone.

"You weren't supposed to be at James' house. You could've gotten yourself killed for Christ's sake." he had the audacity to look angry at me. _I'm seriously gonna hurt him.  
_  
"Well it's a good fucken thing I was at James' house wasn't it or I would've never known the truth about your traitorous ass." I barked slamming my fists down on his desk. I had to release some tension or I would explode.

"So you think I'm loyal to James?" he chuckled. "I assure you it's quite the opposite. Really Edward quit being so small minded." he folded his arms and smirked at me.

_Pompous prick._

"Perhaps I was small minded to think you were someone I could trust. Don't worry I'll never make that mistake again." his sheer arrogance was just intensifying my rage.

"Always the drama queen Cullen." he rolled his eyes and then turned to look at the clock on the wall before facing me again.

"Look, I know you're used to people cowering down to you whenever you throw a tantrum, but I've never been the cowering type and I'm certainly not gonna cower down to you right now." he brought his hands together and twined his fingers raising them up to his chin. His eyes locked forcefully onto mine as he tried his best to intimidate me.

"Edward you're like a brother to me, but please keep in mind that I don't have to explain myself to you." he raised an eyebrow to me in warning. "However, I will tell you the only reason I was at that party was to protect your sister and you… and Bella as well." he added smugly.

Suddenly I saw red. The next thing I knew my mouth was moving without my even thinking about it.

"Don't. Say. Her. Name. Do you fucken hear me? You don't get to say her name EVER again!" I wasn't making sense but the sound of Bella's name on his backstabbing lips had enraged me beyond all reason.

"Jesus! You're losing your mind altogether aren't you? Listen, I hadn't planned it that way but I did you a favor that night. Did you really think you could just waltz into James house and take Bella home with you by asking him nicely? Pfft. Wasn't gonna happen brother." he sat down in his chair and leaned all the way back.

"You did me a favor?" my tone instantly went from livid to shocked. I shook my head in disbelief.

"Are you fucking insane? Was that a favor of yours to provoke Tanya into a punishment? Were you _helping _me out by challenging me right in front of James? You're delusional." I balked and looked away biting down on my lip in frustration.

I felt like I was going in circles. He hadn't told me a god damn thing and it was driving me mad. Then it hit me… he was doing it on purpose.

Jasper wasn't one to cower down to anyone as he said. So why didn't he take responsibility for his actions like a real man would. There was something he wasn't telling me, but perhaps the bigger question was _why_ wasn't he telling me?

_What was he trying to hide from me?_

I heard his voice still droning on with the bullshit._  
_  
"The fact remains had I not challenged you, Bella would be on her knees right now looking at James boots instead of sitting pretty in your house." A cocky grin had spread across his face.

"What are you trying to hide from me Whitlock." I asked, completely ignoring his little game.

That wiped the grin off his face pretty fucken fast. It was time to cut to the chase.

"Edward please… just drop it." he let out a deep sigh. "You got what you wanted. Now just do yourself a favor and stay out of this. _Please_." he looked pained. I certainly felt no sympathy for the bastard.

"That was your last chance Jazz. I promised Bella I'd hear you out and just like I suspected you've got nothing to say. You're nothing but a liar and a fraud." I was disgusted by the sight of him. I paused briefly before I continued to let him know how I felt.

Wait…what? Was I seriously gonna use _words _instead of my fists? I actually wanted to _tell_ him how I felt? What the hell was happening to me?

I heard my voice fill the room. Yeah it still sounded very angry, but also I could hear the pain in it. I didn't care for it. I much preferred to cause him pain instead of hearing it come from myself.

Yet there I stood letting him hear my pain. He had bowed his head like the rat he was. I stood there listening to the silence in the room for a brief time before I sliced it with a knife.

"At least James doesn't hide the fact that he's an evil bastard." I told him through clenched teeth. He didn't move. He was frozen still like a statue before me.

"I have more respect for that sick fuck than I do for you." my tone was stone cold.

I no longer felt the burn of a raging fire within me. I felt cold and numb. _Is this how pain feels?_ I never allowed myself to go there before. It felt different than rage, equally intense though. I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. I let out a disgusted laugh.

"You know. I'd actually hoped for Alice's sake that you had some sort of an explanation. It's gonna destroy her when I tell her the truth about you." I admitted my foolishness to him and watched as he slowly lifted his head. His eyes filled with shame.

_That's right I'm telling my sister._

I stood there in silence gazing down at him hunched over in his chair. I felt a realization seep into my thoughts. This man wasn't who I thought he was at all._  
__  
How had he misled me all these years? Why had he misled me all these years?  
_  
Part of me didn't even care anymore. I was more concerned with how my sister would react. I knew she loved him with all her heart and she had a big fucking heart. I'd never seen her happier. Jasper's deep defeated voice broke my train of thought.

"Edward you need to listen to my words _very_ carefully." He looked me square in the eye with the intensity of a man about to face death.

"I would _never_ betray Alice. I'm a _family_ man." He enunciated each word with conviction.

I huffed loudly. "You know what I'm through listening to you." I headed for the door without looking back.

I realized he wasn't worth losing my control over after all. What would I accomplish by hitting him? It would actually make _him _look like a victim. I was tired of playing the bad guy all the fucken time. I tried giving him a chance to explain himself like I promised Bella I would do. I wasn't gonna stand there and listen to his bullshit like a good damn fool any longer.

Calling me his brother...telling me he's a family man.

_Whose fucken family does he belong to cause it sure as shit ain't mine?_

It pissed me off how badly I'd misjudged him. If it wasn't for me Alice would've never met him.

_I brought_ this on her and I'd never forgive myself for it.

As I made my way through the lobby I got some strange stares from his office staff to which I returned a murderous glare.

_Traitorous workers_.

I hated them all. Not very rational but I didn't give a fuck.

I raced down the stairs to the parking garage bypassing the elevators completely. I needed to expel some serious energy. I glanced at my watch when I reached the landing. _Alice is with Bella._

I knew what I had to do.

I had to break her heart.

The thought of doing it to her made me sick to my stomach. _She's a tough cookie she'll survive it._ I reminded myself.

I'd just about reached my car when I noticed a man stepping out from the back of a stretch limousine parked across from me. He took a few steps in my direction.

"Mr. Cullen. May I have a word with you please?" he had an olive complexion with a chalky pallor to it, and dark hair that reached his shoulders. He was just a tad taller than I and was quite lean.

"I'm sorry do I know you?" I asked. Who the hell was this guy?

"My name is Demitri. Won't you please follow me?" His eyes rolled towards the limousine behind him.

"And why would I want to do that?" Was this guy for real? He looked oddly familiar but I couldn't quite place where I'd seen him before.

"Because I think you'll be quite interested to hear what we have to say." He replied with no expression.

"We?" I questioned suspiciously.

"Yes we." he walked to the back of the limo and opened the car door, exposing the passenger within it.

"Mr. Cullen. Won't you please join me for a ride?" every syllable of his raspy voice dripped with raw power and prestige.

I stood there with my mouth literally gaping open.

_Holy shit!  
_  
There was no mistaking who that man was.

I blinked several times. My feet felt frozen to the cold hard pavement beneath them.

I stood there staring blatantly at Marcus Volturi, capo of the notorious Volturi crime family, who had just_ invited_ me to go for a ride with him.

_Why?  
_  
I had no friggin clue but I had a feeling I was about to find out whether I liked it or not.

* * *

**So what do you think? Did you figure out where we are leading you? Keep an open mind and trust us..we know you are going to love it.**

**Reviews help us get over RL and hurry up writing ;-)  
**


	11. Chapter 11

_**AN I am keeping this one short...you know the drill.. I am sorry we are late with our update but this is how it is...I am thankful for all our loyal fans who keep up with our rubbish and still read our story! **_

_**We are trying our level best to keep it worthy of your time although we are always late with our updates...I am open for suggestions people..let me know what you think..what do you want to read next? **_

_**As always a BIG thank you to our beta HappyMess!**_

_**DISCLAIMER: WE DON'T OWN ANYTHING...STEPHENIE MEYER DOES!**_

_**

* * *

**_

**EPOV **

As I stood there gaping at Marcus Volturi, he remained completely still. I sensed he was basking in the notoriety.

I would know that face, that voice, anywhere. I grew up watching snippets of him on the news, in court fighting various allegations, which he was always miraculously found _not_ guilty of by a jury of his peers.

_So odd, how that happened time after time._

The Volturi brothers were part of an infamous New York crime family. Marcus was the most powerful crime boss in the area, and he didn't exactly get that title by being a sweetheart.

He was known as_ 'The Magician,' _he had the ability to make people _disappear_… if you know what I mean. Not exactly a guy you want to go for a ride with.

_Why would the Volturi approach me?_ I racked my brain for an answer. The only viable option I could come up with was perhaps James put them on my tail. But why would he do that? We had an agreement. It just didn't make sense.

I took a few moments to consider the idea of getting in a car with the Volturi brothers.

"Will I be returning?" I looked him dead in the eyes.

His mouth twitched almost as though he wanted to smile, but he didn't, "You're quite an inquisitive young man aren't you?" He motioned for me to enter the car and I couldn't help but notice he hadn't answered my question.

I decided to hear what he had to say. I was no fool. I knew if I could somehow work this 'ride' in my favor I'd gain a powerful ally, but what did he plan to gain from me? What if it wasn't James that caused their interest in me? I contemplated the idea.

No, of course it had to be James. Why else would they come to me?

I slowly slid into the back seat. Demetri followed and swiftly shut the door behind him. He nodded to the driver, and we were off. We made our way out of the parking garage. I was still cooling off from my argument with Jasper, and from the looks on their faces I was about to get into yet another intense conversation.

Demetri turned his head, bringing his ghostly brown eyes to mine.

"Mr. Cullen…or would you prefer Edward? I often find formalities to be so constrictive," He rolled his S's, which made him sound like a snake about to strike.

"Well, that depends on your intentions, only my friends call me Edward, otherwise I prefer Mr. Cullen," I replied coolly.

"Very well _Edward_," he emphasized my first name. "I suppose you're wondering why it is you're here?" He paused for my response, and I nodded._ "_I trust you understand the confidential nature of our conversation?" His tone was smooth, yet it held a threatening undertone to it.

"Yes, of course." I felt my jaw muscles tighten. If there was one thing I couldn't control, it was my reaction to somebody…anybody threatening me. It was a primal instinct for me to hiss right back at them.

"We've been watching you for some time. Quite a stubborn young man you are." He seemed amused.

"You've been watching _me_? I don't understand." My voice sounded confused and rightfully so. Why would they want to watch me? At that point they gave each other a quick glance and it was Marcus that responded to my question.

"Actually, we couldn't help but notice how _determined_ you are to be involved in certain _situations_ that are of great interest to us." There was definitely no trace of a smile on his face now.

"Situations?" I was getting frustrated by the vagueness of the conversation, so I decided to cut to the chase, "Are you referring to James?" I still had no idea what the hell that psycho's last name was.

"Yes, I am." He paused before adding, "Among other things."

_I knew it! Wait...other things?_

"It appears that you and I have shared interests. I believe it's time we got to know one another. I'd like to call you a_ friend of mine_." Now there was a smile on his face.

An eerie grin had spread across his face. I looked to Demetri who was smirking at Marcus. There was a hidden innuendo in there somewhere. Were they in business with that psycho? It really didn't seem James' style to me, taking orders from someone else. _Though, he does thrive on power and respect._

I moved forward a bit in my seat. Any fear I felt when I first saw the Volturi brothers evaporated in that moment. I needed to find out exactly what I was up against. I knew when I entered James' twisted world I'd have to face uncomfortable situations and this would be the first of many I gathered.

"Is James a friend of yours, Mr. Volturi?" I asked, my lips curled into a sneer reflexively. Just the thought of that madman brought out the savage in me. Seek and destroy were words that came to mind at the thought of him.

Marcus seemed to contemplate my question before responding. "No, most definitely _not_ a friend." He matched my sneer with one of his own.

I let out I breath I didn't know I was holding.

"I choose my friends very wisely Edward, as should you." In an instant his sneer was gone, replaced with a sinister grin. "I understand you're quite a good friend of Jasper Whitlock's."

_They know Jasper?_

"I was." My tone was flat, though I sensed my eyes told a different story.

"Ah… has there been a disagreement between you and him?"

He seemed very interested in my answer; I wondered why Jasper had now become our main issue.

"Yes, there has." _Much more than a disagreement_. "Jasper Whitlock is a liar and a fraud." The words shot out of my mouth like a bullet. I really didn't want to talk about him, especially not with the Volturi brothers.

"Oh, I see. Does this have to do with Isabella Swan?" I froze at the sound of her name.

_How much do they know? _

Blasting sirens, taxi horns, and other familiar sounds of the city caused me to pause briefly before responding.

"Actually, it has more to do with Jasper misleading me for years. I never knew him. He's not who I thought he was." The raspy sound of a growl coated each word I spoke.

"Well, we all have multiple sides to us, Edward. No man is one dimensional," he advised; his voice filled with vigor.

"With all due respect Mr. Volturi, I do not wish to be friends with someone that has a _traitorous_ side." No way could I sit there and listen to him make light of Jasper's deceit.

_Why does he even care?_

"Your tenacity continues to surprise me." He raised his bushy, black eyebrows slightly, as he added, "Believe me, I have _no _tolerance for betrayal myself." He brushed his blazer aside to reveal a revolver that sat holstered to his waist.

_Point taken._

"Why don't you tell me about this _betrayal_ that you feel Jasper committed against you?"

I looked down for a moment and noticed a briefcase at his feet. I wondered what secrets it held. He cleared his throat and I realized I hadn't answered his question. I slid further back into my seat as I processed my answer.

_How much should I tell him?_

"Do you know Jasper well?" I was perplexed by the level of interest he had in the situation.

"Quite well," he replied, snidely.

I glanced out the window and saw we were headed to the Belt Parkway. We were leaving Manhattan.

"I see." My face was expressionless.

_So, Jazz got himself caught up with the mob._ _Will his web of lies and deceit ever end?_

I looked down as I collected my thoughts. It was a sure bet that the Volturi brothers already knew exactly what happened between me and Jasper. They probably knew more about that lying piece of shit than I ever did. Even though I was still seething, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern for Jasper's safety. I was surprised that I still felt protective of my old friend... my _former _friend_. _I quickly corrected myself. I began to feel inflamed by the fact that once again I was put in the hot seat thanks to Jasper.

After several moments of silence I raised my eyes. "So, then I presume you know about the contract James' blackmailed Bella into?" I fished around for information and carefully gauged his reaction. All my instincts were on high alert.

"Oh, you would be surprised by the things I know. But yes, I do know about the contract Miss Swan signed." His expression was void of any emotion.

It was quiet for a moment. Demetri took out his cell phone and placed a call, he began speaking in Italian. He asked Marcus something and he replied. I had no idea what they were saying to each other.

_Damn it! I should have taken Italian in college instead of German. _

My patience was wearing thin with all the riddles and innuendos. If you have something to say, then just spit it out. Why were we dancing around whatever it was they wanted to tell me?

I made a decision to take my own advice and lay it all on the line. Enough with the cat and mouse shit. I had nothing to hide from them.

"Would you like to know what happened between Jasper and I?" He merely nodded in response.

My fingers roughly swept through my hair, "I've never been one to ask for help, but I begged Jasper to get Bella away from that madman."

My eyes darted back and forth between the brothers before I continued. "He just scoffed at me and said _she_ didn't want the help, and to stay out of it." I huffed at the memory and paused briefly, feeling both sets of eyes on me. It was a bit unnerving.

_Why do they care about any of this?_

I clenched my teeth as I continued. "After the _things_ I witnessed, I'd have to be heartless to look away. So, I took matters into my own hands. I went to James' party to integrate myself into his community and to my surprise... there was Jasper talking to that sick bastard as though they were the best of friends."

I shook my head in disgust. "Supposedly, he was out of that lifestyle. It was underhanded of him to be there, though not even that led me to feeling betrayed."

My hands began to ball tightly into fists as I walked further down the path of that night. "When I approached him, instead of helping me as a _friend _would do, he stabbed me in the back!" The sound of my voice quickly turned animalistic. I could feel my temper rising rapidly and my control diminishing.

I was vaguely aware of the fact that Marcus' face had reacted to what I was saying, though I was too caught up in the story to focus on him.

The icy cool voice of a Dom had now been replaced with the fiery hot snarl of a raging savage. My breath was burning on my lips, I lightly ran my tongue over them before I carried on, "He challenged and mocked me trying to humiliate me in front of James, trying to kill any chance I had of earning his respect," a surge of adrenaline and the familiar feeling of fury began running wildly through my system.

I looked away a few moments as I remembered how that smug fucker looked that night.

_Man, I really should have hit him when I had the chance._

I huffed loudly, "To have any chance of getting Bella away from James I had to gain his respect. Jazz knew that. He fucking knew it!" I roared.

Every ounce of my body shouted…._ Smash something!_

But, I knew it would only make matters worse. That didn't change the fact that my insides were boiling over, my hands shaking, my mind racing, my heart pounding, my body sweating, my eyes glaring, my mouth hot and dry.

I desperately struggled to reign in my temper. I bit down on the inside of my mouth until I tasted the salty flavor of my own blood. My eyes were lowered to my lap willing my hands not to lash out and break something.

After a few long hard minutes passed, I felt stable enough to continue.

"Mr. Volturi," I locked my eyes onto his intensely, "I've always considered Jasper to be a second brother to me. I went out on a limb for him when he fell in love with my sister." I was panting from the force of my rage.

"I'm loyal and protective to those I care for, but I'm unforgiving and vengeful to those that cross me." I continued to steadily hold his gaze.

The words of truth had poured freely from my mouth like a fountain. I realized I may have said too much. The car was quiet for a while after my verbal rampage. I looked outside, and not surprisingly noticed we were stuck in traffic. I sat there gazing out the tinted, probably bullet proof, window. I knew I had to cool myself down.

_Will I ever not_ _struggle to control my temper? _

It could get me killed, because I had no idea if I just pissed them off. Though, I didn't really give a shit. I told the truth and as far as I was concerned I had done nothing wrong. It was Jasper that deserved to suffer not me.

After I gained some semblance of self control, I looked away from the window over to the Volturi brothers to gauge their reaction. They each sat very still, their faces void of any expression.

I waited for them to speak. I had a feeling I'd said enough, probably too much.

What occurred next, took me by surprise. Marcus edged forward on his seat. He then reached out and placed his hand on my shoulder. He squeezed tightly the same way my father did in his office that morning.

"You remind me of my son." he noted, as though it were an honor he bestowed upon me, "I'm going to give you the same advice I gave him not long ago." His tone was stern, yet nonthreatening, he paused a moment before saying, "Edward, there are times in a man's life, when he must do things in the present, that will greatly anger or hurt those he cares for, in order to protect them from a deeper and more lethal pain in the future." He released my shoulder, but remained edged forward on his seat, "For example," he scratched the side of his neck, "You're presently deceiving your own parents are you not?" He threw me a smug look.

Obviously he knew the answer. I got the feeling I had no secrets from him at all. Why was he so interested in my life? It just made no sense to me.

"I guess you could say that," I begrudgingly answered.

I really hated to think of it that way. In my opinion, I was protecting them from the madness that had become my life. Also, I wasn't eager to tell my mother I'd been too busy to visit lately because I was in training to be a Dom, so I could learn how to properly command a blackmailed slave, that I was planning to rescue from a madman….with my sister. Not exactly the usual Cullen Friday night dinner conversation.

The car was silent until Marcus tauntingly asked, "Are you deceiving your family because you're a liar? Do you enjoy misleading them?"

"No, of course not," I scoffed immediately, sounding insulted, "I despise lying, especially to my parents. I have no choice at the moment."

"Ah...but yet you ARE lying. Would you consider yourself a _fraud_ because of that Edward? Should your parents feel as though they never knew you at all?"

I couldn't help but wonder why in the world he was so concerned about my relationship with my parents.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in annoyance, "Mr. Volturi, I'm struggling to understand your concern about my relationship with my parents?"

The confusion was evident in my tone. I highly doubted that he knew either of them. My parents were as straight as arrows.

Suddenly he let out a thunderous howl. I actually flinched from the abruptness and volume of it. His face lit up like he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"I must say it's been quite some time since I've been so amused," he seemed to be holding back a fit of laughter.

_What the hell?_

No one has _ever _accused me of being a funny guy….ever. Even Demetri seemed to be holding in a chuckle.

_Seriously, what the hell is so fucking funny?_

It took a few moments for him to compose himself. He slid all the way back in his seat before speaking to me again, "Actually, I must admit that I have little concern regarding the state of your relationship with your parents. Though, as a father I must warn, it's not wise to deceive those that brought you into this world," he pointed his finger at me, "I am however quite concerned about the state of your relationship with Jasper Whitlock," he said this as though it was of great importance to the world.

He paused a few moments, letting his statement settle in, eyeing me intently.

_Wait… Does Jasper work for him? Is that even possible? What is he in the fucking mob now for Christ's sake? _

"Does Jasper…work for you?" I asked abruptly, fearing the answer.

_Please say no. _

"No." he replied coolly.

I let out a grateful sigh of relief.

"He's family," he boasted, with pride in his voice.

It took a moment for me to truly digest what he had just said. I knew he was gauging my reaction to it. He seemed to be enjoying my shock.

_How could Jazz be related to Marcus Volturi? He's from Austria…and his last name is friggin Whitlock. Not exactly Italian. Maybe he's a distant cousin? _

"Would that be family as in a distant relative of yours?" the hope was apparent in my voice.

He shook his head no.

_Oh._

"You see Edward, your friendship with Jasper concerns me greatly, since _I _ordered him to attend the party that you so _venomously_ remember," he paused and gave some sort of hand signal to the driver, "I heard all about your quest to save Miss Swan and I gave Jasper explicit instructions to prevent you from doing so. That is unless he wanted you to have this little meeting with me," his brow lifted.

_Aw fuck, he's going to kill me. _

"Your determination was quite impressive I have to admit. Though from what you've told me it sounds like Jasper gave you a run for your money." he smirked at me. I noticed it looked oddly familiar.

It was Jasper's smirk. It was that same pompous sneer of his that always irked the shit out of me. I swear it looked as though Jasper had inhabited Marcus and was now sitting there taunting me.

I felt the car stop. I looked out the window. From what I could see we were at a pier.

_Why does this place seem familiar?_

After a few moments I recognized it from a fishing trip I took with Jasper in college. The place was in Brooklyn. I tried to remember the name of it.

_Canarsie… Canarsie Pier._ That was the name. I remembered I really liked it …that day.

It felt like a movie and I knew the story well. This was the part where they fit me with the cement shoes and tossed me in the river. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. I watched as the limo driver got out of the car.

I thought about Bella and how we would never get the chance to know one another. I allowed myself a moment to mourn the loss of experiencing that. I never thought I'd fall in love and now it looked like I was right, which really fucking sucked because I never wanted to, until now. All my life I laughed off the idea, and now that I found someone I knew I could fall for it was too late.

_Irony is such a bitch. _

I decided to face my fate like a man. I wasn't going out like some pansy ass bitch, but I had to make sure Bella would be protected after I was gone.

_Who wouldn't want to protect her?_

If he agreed, I knew I could die peacefully. I heard what sounded like the latches of a briefcase opening. I glanced over to see Marcus rifling through its contents. I pulled myself out of my thoughts and decided to confront the most important matter at hand. I cleared my throat a bit before I spoke to make sure I had his attention.

"Could I ask that you protect Bella?" I was looking straight into the eyes of my executioner as I made my final plea.

He paused for a moment, as if seriously contemplating my request, "And why would I do that, when clearly that particular job is meant for _you_," he said smoothly while handing me a piece of paper.

_What?_

"Edward, this is what's called a standstill agreement, I would like you to use this to protect yourself from greenmail."

"Greenmail? I'm sorry I don't follow." I was rubbing the back of my neck.

He looked taken aback, as though I had just smacked him across the face, "I was under the impression that you _were_ aware of the fact that New Moon Fuel Corporation is currently attempting to greenmail Eclipse Airlines," he peered at me suspiciously.

Clearly, he was a man that didn't take kindly to getting faulty information, and apparently someone had told him I knew about that crazy woman Jane buying stock in Eclipse.

"Oh yes, I recently found out about that," I replied apologetically. I didn't want to be responsible for the death of his informant. I wondered who that was. I never told Jasper I knew about it.

He seemed to visibly relax. I began to wonder where the limo drive went, and why we weren't getting out of the car. "Perhaps I should explain to you that greenmail is the term that the financial industry uses to make a hostile takeover _sound_ legal," he hissed. His tone now filled with malice.

He was absolutely seething about this and I had no idea why. Why would he care that Eclipse was being greenmailed?

"And you want _me_ to use this contract to stop it from happening?"

I was talking hesitantly because I had no clue why on earth I was suddenly discussing my financial troubles with a mafia ring leader. Shouldn't that type of thing be left to an accountant or a lawyer… or anyone but him?

"Yes, that's exactly what I'd like you to do. I've _persuaded _a business associate of mine to be your _white knight_. Though, it will be up to you to properly negotiate the standstill agreement, which I must warn will be no easy task." He took out a pair of glasses from his pocket and put them on. "I'd like you to look that contract over carefully, become familiar with it. I have an attorney you can contact with questions."

He closed his briefcase and placed it by his side.

"I have my own attorney, I'll have him look this over," I replied, while scanning the document.

"You do that."

It wasn't long before the limo driver returned and we were off once again. I had no idea where he had gone or why we drove to Canarsie in the first place. I didn't ask. I spent most of the ride back to Manhattan processing what had happened. I realized the alliance I formed with the Volturi brothers had its merits. It seemed Marcus had an agenda of his own, which didn't include concern for Bella, but it did seem to include bringing down James and his crazy mother. That was good news to me. I decided to have another talk with Jasper. I wanted to know all about his "family".

When we got back to the parking garage, I looked to each brother before opening the car door. "Thank you for the ride gentlemen, it's been…enlightening."

They both smirked. "We'll be in touch." Marcus warned.

I just nodded my head in response and closed the door. I let out a reflective sigh as I walked over to my car. I couldn't wait to get home. I'd deal with Jasper in private later. I wasn't going to storm into his office again. His staff would probably call the police the moment I stepped in the door. Though I was very curious to hear all about his relationship with the Voluturi family. Very curious.

Surprisingly traffic wasn't that bad on the way back, and oddly enough the sun had come out, the storm had passed. I knew I still had a lot to figure out. I was hopeful that Seth, my personal attorney, would be able to interpret what the standstill agreement was all about. I certainly couldn't show it to my father's attorney…at least not yet.

As I entered my house a smile instantly spread across my face…Bella. I couldn't wait to feast my eyes on her. I quickly made my way to the kitchen, calling out her name as I did so. In my Dom voice of course, since I had seen Eric's car in the driveway. It was after twelve so I expected him to be there.

What I didn't expect was what I found on my kitchen floor.

* * *

BPOV

"E-Eric..?" I hated that my voice was trembling but it was the first time he'd ever touched me without being instructed by James. I was worried, he was drunk, Alice wasn't far away and -strange but true- I was very worried about how Edward would react to this situation if he happened to come home right that instant. I tried not to look at the drunken brute towering over me. Instinctively my eyes shot down to the floor.

"Look at you wearing these fancy clothing..." he tugged on my sweater roughly. "Now I get why James kept you in that nasty little outfit you wore around the club" he slurred.

My breathing was shallow, I tried my best not to move, afraid of what I might encourage if I did.

_Why is he acting like this? _

Eric was usually a robotic minion, always cold yes, but never forceful or antagonistic like he was suddenly acting. He'd always been just a grumbling and loyal servant to James. I decided to try and defuse the situation.

I cleared my throat before speaking. "Do you need anything, Eric?" I probed, my voice not sounding so shaky anymore.

He leaned into me… too close…breathing down my neck. I smelled his foul odor; it was sweat, alcohol and some other indefinable stench. My first impulse was to shove him away, but I knew that wouldn't be a good idea even with a sober Eric…so with a drunken Eric it could turn quite painful for me.

"I need a lot of things Isabella," he spat out bitterly and then gave me a wicked grin. "Why, did you want to help me with my needs?" I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly because his words were no longer coherent.

"Eric let me help you to your room?" I was trying not to sound repulsed. It wasn't easy.

"hmmm...soumphh...mmm," was all I understood. He was getting worse by the minute.

"What the fuck is going on here?" Alice's shriek made me jump slightly and Eric's body quickly fell to the floor_. _I heard the bang of his head hitting the ceramic tile and knew he'd be feeling that when he came to.

"BEL -" I put my hand hastily over her mouth.

"Shhh, Alice. He passed out. Don't wake him." I worked on calming my breathing as the adrenaline rush left my trembling body.

"What the hell did I just walk in on?" Though Alice was speaking in a more subdued voice, I could still sense her exasperation.

"Come on, help me move him to his room first and then I'll tell you what happened," I begged.

"No way in hell Bella. Let the pig rot there. That's the right place for him anyway. He should be grateful I'm not covering his sorry ass with bruises while he's unconscious." Her eyes were burning in a way I'd definitely seen before. She looked so much like Edward, her hands were balled into fists, with a look on her face that could kill.

"I want to know what happened here and I want to know _now_." She tapped her foot impatiently, her eyes focused tightly on mine.

"Fine..." I gave up. If she wasn't going to give me a hand moving the drunken idiot, there really was no use in trying on my own. I was just hoping I could get him out of the way before I had to explain to Edward what Eric was doing sprawled out on his kitchen floor.

"Can we at least go talk in the family room?" I hedged.

Her eyes softened a bit, she put her arm around my shoulder and walked with me. We moved back to our previous seating arrangement on the sofa, but the cozy feelings I had before had left and were replaced by dread and dejection. Seriously, when was I finally going to get it?

_You are **not **normal and you have to stop trying to be. That chapter of your life is over. You've been changed into someone else now._

"Bella?" Alice broke me out of my self-loathing mantra. "Do you want me to get you a glass of water?"

I shook my head no. I didn't want her to worry about me. Nothing had even happened and I needed her to brush the incident off or she'd talk to Edward about it and I already knew what his reaction would be.

"Alice I'm fine. Nothing happened." I insisted.

"What do you mean nothing happened? That asshole had you pinned to the wall and was all over you. Unless you're gonna tell me he has some sort of dog DNA in his system and was sniffing around to recognize you...I'm pretty sure he was sucking his way up your neck."

I actually fought the urge to laugh in response to her. _Dog DNA._ Where did that come from? I could just picture Eric as a dog. He'd probably be a Pit Bull or maybe a Rottweiler. No those dogs were way too intelligent. I pondered what type of dog he would be and realized how ridiculous I was being. I rolled my eyes at myself, but Alice thought it was meant for her.

"What?" She snapped, impatiently, her lips pursed in anger_._

Mad pixie was really freaking frightening. Gone was the playful twinkle in her eye and the chipper tone in her voice.

_"_Dog DNA…really Alice?"I practically whispered it, still worried about waking the sleeping beast in the next room. Something came over me and I started to chuckle... sounding like a complete maniac. Even I could hear how unstable I sounded.

"I talk nonsense when I get angry. Sue me!" Alice laughed awkwardly along with me, but not without shooting me a few wary glances. I could see she was worried about my sanity. Hell I was worried about my sanity.

"Alice, really…he's just drunk." I explained once I calmed down. "I swear he's never done anything like that before, why would he start now?" I asked sincerely. I knew it had to be a fluke.

_Please lord let it have been a fluke. _

"You need to tell Edward so he'll know to never leave you alone with that scumbag," she huffed.

"NO! No way! Please don't! Why do you think I asked you to help move him to his room?" I screamed out in panic.

She flinched and looked at me surprised. I knew I shocked her by my outburst, but I hoped she knew me well enough to know I wasn't trying to protect Eric.

"Alice, I know you heard how Edward reacted when that slimy employee of your father's hassled me at the club. What do you think his reaction would be to Eric?" I asked even though we both knew the answer.

She seemed to be mulling over my words carefully for a few moments, I was feeling relieved I had finally gotten through to her.

Then she abruptly shook her head in protest and said, "Honey, if you tell Edward he could talk to James and he can call back his dog. Just imagine being here with Edward, with us, without any supervision. You could live a normal life until we figure out a solution…together." Her tone was so hopeful it broke my heart to pull her out of her delusion, but I had to.

"Yes, of course that sounds wonderful, but I've only been here for two days. If anyone knows that psychotic bastard it's me, I know that James would demand someone stay here to help Edward 'adjust' to his new role. He'd probably send Taylor and believe me, Eric is a softie compared to Taylor," I sighed gloomily. It was the truth. Taylor was a very well trained minion. The man was evil incarnate.

Alice once again shook her head no in disagreement.

"Sweetie, please you have to listen to me, in this case you need to tell Edward so he can keep Eric away from you." This time her voice was soft and soothing. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it tightly. I knew she thought I was acting out of fear and maybe she was right, but I just didn't want to risk the wrath of James over a fluke occurrence.

"No Alice, I really need for you to listen to me, your brother has enough going on right now. You said you don't know why your dad wanted to see him, but I think I do. Edward has responsibilities that don't include me. He needs to work and to live his life. He can't keep putting everything on hold for me. It just isn't right. And while we're at it...don't think I don't know you do the same thing. You just told me your wedding is only two weeks away." I paused, shaking my head regretfully, and fighting back the tears I felt swelling in my eyes. "I'm sure you have tons of things to do other than sitting around here babysitting me." I squeezed her hands for emphasis.

She reached over to the remote control and turned off the television, then she picked up her water bottle and took a sip, it seemed to me she was doing all of this deliberately slow. Finally, she turned to me with an unreadable expression on her face.

"Isabella Marie Swan, do you really believe I'm here to babysit you? As in, that I'm only here fulfilling a duty?" she glared at me.

I gulped without saying a word.

"You silly, silly girl! Why won't you realize that you …" she pointed to me "are my friend?" I know we haven't known each other for a long time, but to me it honestly feels like you're my sister." Her face was now full of warmth. "Honey, please don't feel we're putting our life on hold for you. We care for you...deeply… and something tells me you would do the same for us if the tables were ever turned."

My eyes darted up to hers and I saw the sincerity in them. She was such a good friend. Meeting her and Edward were the only good things that came out of this whole mess. Why was she so thick headed? Why wouldn't she understand all I wanted was to cause the least amount of trouble as possible?

"Of course I would Alice," I said without hesitation. "But that's not the issue. I'm talking about you trying so hard to get me out of a very dangerous situation, that I caused myself. I just want you to be safe for heaven's sake." It was getting harder now to hold back the tears. I was just so sick of always feeling sorry for myself and feeling like a victim. I knew that Edward and Alice saw me that way and I just didn't know how to change that.

Alice seemed to sense my anguish and let out a long defeated sigh. "Alright Bella, if you don't want me to tell Edward about what happened I won't, but just so you know I don't agree with your reasoning. I know my brother can be hotheaded, and when it comes to you he appears to lose all sense of reason, but he cares for your safety and I'm sure he wouldn't act irrationally, especially now that you're finally here with him." She patted my arm gently and went back to drinking out of her water bottle.

We sat there for a few minutes silently, lost in our own thoughts. I could tell Alice was thinking hard about something because her face kept changing expressions as though she were trying to make a decision. I wondered what it could be.

"I may not know you very long, Alice, but I definitely know there is something you want to say and you just don't know how."

She chuckled lightly and looked a little embarrassed. "Am I that obvious?"

"Yes," I grinned at her. "The emotions flickering on your face are like a billboard, it's more than obvious…so spill it."

Alice finally put down her bottle and turned all the way around, facing me completely.

"Okay, I need to ask you something and I'm afraid you won't like it. Please don't be mad at me." Whatever it was she sounded quite serious, I was intrigued. I nodded my head encouraging her to go on.

"Bella, you've been in contract with James a few months now and well, he rented you out a few times, I was just thinking maybe you need to see a gynecologist. You know just to make sure everything is alright." Her voice sounded a bit hesitant.

I was confused by her question. Was she worried I could be carrying a disease and could pass it on to her brother? But then why would she ask me to see a doctor and not Edward? Or did she ask him? I sat there wondering and when my silence held up, Alice started talking again.

"I knew this was a bad idea," she muttered to herself before she spoke up a bit louder. "Sweetie, I'm just worried about you…you know, having sex with a man like James, you really should get yourself checked. Now you have the opportunity."

Her words caused my breath to catch in my throat. "Alice?" I exhaled trying hard to control my emotions. "You think I've been having sex with James?"

Her eyes widened and she looked as confused as I probably looked. "Bella, you were his girlfriend when you first met him, you told me you slept with him and that he was rough with you and now you're in contract with him to be his slave, of course I think you're having sex with him."

It was insane, but I started laughing for some reason, I was laughing so hard that tears were rolling down my face. Why I responded with laughter I'll never know. Though it was a means for the tears to finally come out that I had been stifling for so long. I felt Alice's glare on me after a while, so I calmed myself down enough to try and explain my sudden outburst.

"I'm so glad you brought this up." I wiped my tears away with the back of my hand. "For some reason it hadn't even occurred to me that you thought I was sleeping with him, I mean yes, I slept with him when was my boyfriend, and he was very rough with me at times." I shivered at the memory. "But, as my _Master _he deems me unworthy of the pleasure he believes, in his warped mind, that I would experience by having sex with him." I paused and watched as she took in my words. "Though, he does view me worthy to please him orally, since he feels that is a submissive act." I cringed as I remembered him commanding me to please him on several occasions.

Alice was looking at me as though I had just said the sky was purple.

"You don't believe me," I stated as a matter of fact, not asking her.

"No, Bella it's not like that, really. I'm just so surprised. I never imagined that you weren't having sex with James or the guys he rented you to. I'm so sorry for assuming that."

She seemed ashamed of her words as she spoke them and for what felt like the millionth time I realized how fucked up my life had really become.

"No," I shook my head forcefully. "I can understand why you would think that. I guess I've just been in survival mode for so long that I actually forgot what it's like to think rationally." I shrugged my shoulders. "When I first signed the contract I was completely numb, void of all emotion. I don't know how I do it, but it's a defense mechanism I've mastered quite well, even before I met James," I admitted, "One of the first things he did was have a doctor come and test me for everything under the sun, since he considered me a whore." I bit my lip in anger. "When he had me injected with birth control, I assumed the worst, but I was actually very relieved to find out that he was more about giving me mental and physical pain than getting pleasure from me." I thought a moment, "Well actually that is how he gets pleasure from me I suppose."

I realized it was a sick way to think, but it was the truth. If forced to make a choice I much preferred the physical and mental abuse to the sexual abuse. Not that he didn't sexually abuse me…because he did. It was all hell on earth; there were actually levels to it for me. I didn't expect her to understand that. I really didn't understand it myself.

I saw she was eager for me to continue so I went on.

"He actually gave implicit instructions to those he rented me to that they were not to have sexual intercourse with me. In his sick mind he thought he was denying me pleasure. He really is a twisted man, Alice. He's extremely dangerous. Don't ever forget that… please." There was urgency in my voice.

Just as she was about to respond we heard the front door open and footsteps in the foyer.

"Bella?" Edward called out, in a strong commanding tone.

"Shit!" Alice and I both whispered at the same time. I jumped up and she pulled me back down.

"Where are you going?" she asked nervously.

"Uh... to try and keep anymore drama from happening today," I pulled away and stood up quickly.

"Oh...I have a bad feeling about this," she said as she stood and followed closely behind me.

We made our way to the kitchen and saw Edward standing over Eric's limp body, still sprawled out on the kitchen floor.

"What happened, are you alright?" he was at my side in an instant, his arms wrapped around me protectively. My body rejoiced at the feeling. It was my favorite place in the world to be. It stilled my racing anxious heart; it soothed my out of control mind. His scent did that to me, his touch did that to me. I was lost for a few wonderful moments before I snapped back to reality and realized I needed to answer him.

I went to respond, but before I could say a word he abruptly pulled away from me, he was looking at my shirt. I followed his eyes; my shirt was torn at the shoulder and crumpled just about everywhere else.

I looked back up into his eyes. They were now sizzling. I expected him to yell or scream. Instead his voice came out as smooth as butter, yet somehow sounded even deadlier.

"Did he do this to you Bella?" he looked from me to Eric and then back to me again.

His expression was as cold as ice. I swallowed hard. I felt beads of sweat forming on the back of my neck as I struggled with how to answer him.

* * *

_**I know we left you hanging again...but ifyou were in her shoes, how would you explain yourself?**_

_**Tell us what you liked/disliked about this Chapter!**_

_**Review  
**_


	12. Chapter 12

**_AN/ I know I should be on my knees apologizing to you people for the looong time you had to wait for this Update..In my defense I had good (personal) reasons for being away...I hope there are still some readers out there who forgive me and TropicalSorbet for the delay, which was all my fault!_**

**_As always a big Thank You to HappyMess who beta'ed this Chapter in less than a day!  
_**

**_Without further ado I give you this Chapter and see you down there!_**

**DISCLAIMER: STEPHENIE MEYER OWNS EVERYTHING WE ARE JUST TELLING A DIFFERENT STORY WITH HER CHARACTERS!_  
_**

**_

* * *

_**

**Chapter 12**

**BPOV**

"Bella?" Edward raised his eyebrow at me in question.

I hadn't answered him yet. I was frozen in place, my mouth slightly hung open as I searched for the words. A few minutes had passed since he asked me to tell him what happened with Eric.

I noticed he looked a bit disheveled. His hair seemed wilder than its normal state of disarray.

I wondered what kind of day _he_ had. But it was obvious to me that he wasn't in the mood to talk about _his_ day. He wanted answers and who could blame him?

He came home to a big oaf sprawled out on his floor.

I looked at Alice but there was no help coming from her side of the room. She was looking at me suggestively, no doubt still thinking it would be best for me to tell Edward the truth.

I had nothing against the truth. As a matter of fact I hated lying, but I learned the hard way that in certain situations being _entirely_ truthful was a dangerous path to take.

I opened my mouth to speak without much of a plan. "He was drunk?" I sounded like a little girl unsure of her answer.

Edward didn't falter. His dark green eyes silently urged me to continue.

I felt my pulse quicken. I was nervous that I would screw things up by enraging Edward, which would subsequently start trouble for him with James. I just couldn't allow that to happen.

My hands began to fiddle with the hemline of my shirt. "It was an _accident, _actually." I tried my best to sound convincing. "Eric lost his balance and then when he tried to steady himself he ended up _accidentally_ grabbing me by my shirt….by _accident._" I took a deep breath and held it in while gauging Edward's reaction.

His eyes narrowed at me, I quickly avoided them by looking over to Alice, who was to my surprise suppressing a fit of laughter. I could see it bubbling up in her throat.

"Bella...you are by far the worst liar I've ever met." Edward said in an emotionless tone.

My eyes were very busy roaming everywhere but his face. Suddenly Alice's loud chuckle burst out into the room.

It startled me more so than it normally would have since my nerves were completely fried. But what startled me even more was when Edward burst into laughter right after her.

"She really thought she could keep this from you. The poor girl, I guess no one's ever taught her how to lie. It's obvious she's not a natural at it." Alice was still giggling lightly.

"Damn it..." I muttered.

"Seriously Bella, I knew you were going to lie from the moment you bit your lower lip trying to come up with an answer." Edward gently brushed the hair away from my worried face.

All traces of humor quickly left the room.

His eyes softened a bit, but I still saw anger in them. "Now, would you pleasetell me what happened here and I want the truth?"

"This..." Alice started to say before Edward interrupted her by raising his hand.

"Alice, if you don't mind I'd like Bellato tell me. She needs to feel comfortable confiding in me or else none of this is going to work,"

He turned to face me. "I don't want you to feel you ever have to lie to me. You can alway_s_ talk to me about anything. It's very_ i_mportant for you to _trust_ me."

His words were sincere and his face sublime. In my heart I knew I could trust him. I agreed to accept his help...more or less. We should be working as a team.

There really was no point in keeping secrets from him. I knew all this and yet for some crazy reason I still felt the urge to shoulder my problems on my own. I still wanted to keep him as far away from all the madness as possible.

I couldn't help feeling that I needed to protect him. It was an instinct for me…like breathing.

"I'm sorry I tried to lie to you," I put my hand on his shoulder. "I just didn't want this one fluke occurrence to become a huge problem. Eric showed up here drunk; actually, more than drunk. He was bombed." Suddenly the truth poured out. "I guess he never saw me in decent clothing before. He grabbed me a bit roughly. But that was all, he didn't do anything else." I knew that fact was of utmost importance.

Edward's face looked visibly relieved.

I waited a few moments before I continued. "I was worried that if I told you the truth chances were good that you would go all _West Side Story_ on him."

A small smirk broke out on his face.

"I really don't want any more attention from James and I definitely don't want you at war with him over something like this?" I was rambling.

My exasperation with this whole matter made me blurt out everything I had been thinking using no filter at all. I'd gone from one extreme to the next in a matter of minutes.

"I think that's the first time I ever heard you say so much in one breath." Alice commented still amazed. "You should have asked her to speak her mind long ago Edward."

I turned tentatively to him. His expression was unreadable. I couldn't say if he was angry or simply stunned.

"Alice," he said without looking away from me. "Thank you for keeping Bella company today. I'm _sure_ you have errands to run for your wedding." His tone was firm.

"I'm being dismissed." She grumbled jokingly. "Fine, I'll go. As a matter of fact I do have some things to get done and Bella will tell me everything you talk about later anyway. Right, Bella?"

"Go away, Alice." Edward said in a stern voice, but I could see the ghost of a smile on his lips.

Alice stuck her tongue out at her brother and went to retrieve her things from the family room. She returned with her purse in hand a few moments later.

She hugged me tightly and whispered in my ear. "I want every detail and while you're being so open you might want to tell him what you told me earlier about James."

I was a little confused. I assumed Edward of _all_ people would have known that James hadn't had sex with me since I became his submissive. Surely James instructed him not to have intercourse with me just like he'd done with the others he rented me out to.

"Bye Big C, "Alice threw at Edward before she ran out the door snickering.

"Big C?" I turned to Edward once we stood alone. I didn't know what to say and I hoped that would be a good opening.

"It's an old nickname, Alice and Emmett love to drudge it up every now and then." Edward explained without looking me in the eyes.

_He's embarrassed about something. _

"Do I want to know what it stands for?" I asked with a sly grin.

"No!" He stated firmly.

_Wow must be very heavy stuff._

"Why not?" I insisted, enjoying the sight of him squirming uncomfortably for once.

He scowled. "Because it's not important and because you're trying to divert me. We have other things to talk about." He finally brought his eyes back to mine and I could see _that_ conversation was over….for now.

"Fine," I pouted. "Let's _talk_." I sounded like a petulant child but I really didn't want to talk about Eric, James and all the rest of the insanity.

Yet that seemed to be all I ever got to talk about.

"Come with me." He looked down at The Reaper's lifeless body. "This shithead's gonna wake up soon enough. He'll come find me. I'm curious to see how he's gonna explain his actions."

Edward took me by the hand and led me out of the kitchen and down the hallway.

I got a small tour of his house when I arrived the first night, but I had no idea where he was leading me to. After passing a few closed doors, one of which I remembered to be his office, we came to a stop in front of an elegant set of double doors.

They looked more like a piece of art. I was distracted for a minute as I took their beauty in.

When Edward pushed the doors open a bright room came into sight. It was like a closed-in garden. It actually looked like a small piece of heaven and I couldn't help but to stand there gaping in awe.

**EPOV**

I heard Bella gasp and I looked over at her curiously. I'd forgotten how the sight of the winter garden affected people when they saw it for the first time.

It was so rare that I brought anyone in there.

"My grandfather built this room." I said by way of explanation.

Bella was still looking around utterly fascinated. I remembered how I felt when my grandparents finally allowed me to see what was behind those doors.

I was about twelve years old when my grandfather deemed me worthy of the honor to enter the 'grown-up-room' as we used to call it when we were kids.

I was delighted especially since Emmett and Alice were just dying to get a glimpse of what was behind the magical looking doors.

When you entered the garden room it was like entering a parallel universe or traveling to a far off world.

I stepped closer to a very enchanted Bella. "My grandfather lived in Germany for ten years, though he spent most of his time in the Alps. That's where he met my grandmother. She was studying in Switzerland on an educational trip in Vienna. My grandfather was the guest of honor at a soiree there. He said it was love at first sight. The Alps was always their special place. My grandfather was determined to bring my grandmother a piece of their special place here."

_What the hell made me just tell her that story? _

I was more than shocked by my sudden urge to share that ridiculously sappy story with Bella. I'd always been touched by my grandfather's endless devotion for my grandmother, but through the years I grew bored and eventually downright annoyed by the numerous times he told me that same story.

Now there I was sharing it with Bella. Oddly enough it sounded much less ridiculous to me now.

Something was clearly wrong with me and it wasn't just the shock of meeting the Volturi brothers, chatting with Charlie Swan, confronting Jasper or walking in on an unconscious thug sprawled across my kitchen floor while the girl I desperately wanted to protect stood by looking terrified…of me.

I walked over to the bench in the right corner of the room. My Grandfather bought it from a native Alpenhütte, he was so proud of it.

I sat down and gestured for Bella to join me.

I took a deep breath and let my brain catch up with all that was going on around me. There was a strong sense of tranquility in the garden room.

I chose the most peaceful room in the house to talk with her…the most peaceful room in the world in my opinion.

Her eyes were still widened in wonderment as she made her way over to me. "This room is just amazing. I never imagined a place like this could exist." She lightly touched the greenery to see if it were real. It was. "It feels like we're outside. Are we really still inside your house?"

Bella sat down next to me with a massive smile on her face. If I knew she'd react like that, the garden room would have been the first place I brought her.

Hell, she could fucking live in there if it would keep thatsmile on her face.

Her eyes got a far off look. "That was such a beautiful story. Your grandparents must have been deeply in love."

I grinned at her, feeling slightly embarrassed. "Yes, they were. I guess most people would present this room by explaining where they bought the art or what types of plants are in it."

She shook her head. "I liked your introduction muchbetter. It was insightful," she blushed at the last word and I wondered why.

It seemed I was always trying to figure her out.

"It's peaceful here." I commented impassively. She nodded her head in agreement, while silently looking around. Her eyes landed on the waterfall in the center of the room.

It wasn't ornate. The room was a horticultural masterpiece that was for sure. The flowers actually appeared to be growing directly from the earth.

There was even an artificial hill at the end of the room that allowed the sun to come in at just the right angle to watch it set each night.

Twilight in the garden room was breathtaking.

It was actually where I used to spend a lot of my time when I was a younger. I used to get into trouble quite often. My temper was even worse back then and my grandparent's garden room became an oasis for me.

I had a feeling it was going to serve the same purpose for Bella.

She pointed across the room. "How did your grandfather create that hill?" Before I could respond she asked, "Is this room connected to the house by that glass cupola?" She pointed to the dome shaped glass ceiling that encased the room. Her childlike enthusiasm was infectious.

I took her hand in mine, entwining our fingers together. "This house used to be a bit different than it is now. When my grandparents passed away they left it to me." I ran my fingers across hers as I spoke. "I spent a good amount of my time with them when I was growing up. I always called this house my home, which used to drive my father absolutely crazy." I smirked at the memory. "I suppose that's why I was the one they left it to."

Bella's eyes found mine and we shared a brief moment…a connection. I found I could get lost in these momentsif I wasn't careful.

My thumb gently massaged the palm of her hand as I continued. "A few years ago I hired an architect to make a few changes. Though I made sure this part of the house was preserved.

The house still has most of its original layout, but to me it feels homier this way. I can show you pictures of how it used to look if you're interested, but not now I need to talk to you about other matters."

She took the seriousness of my words in and within seconds she was hunched over as if she were carrying a huge burden on her shoulders.

Gone was her gorgeous smile. It was replaced with a worrisome frown.

She pulled her hand away from mine. "I know what you want to talk about," Her back stiffened. "I really am sorry I lied to you. It was wrong, especially since I promised to accept your help. But I just can't stop feeling like I _need_ to protect you. It's just who I am and I can't apologize for that."

There was fierceness flickering in her eyes.

"I worry a lot and try my best to protect others and...Well my brain is kind of a private place. I don't let people in very easily or very often." Her lips formed an even tighter frown. "It's just that I'm so used to taking care of myself and those close to me." She fell silent just as suddenly as she had started speaking.

"Wow that was quite impressive. I must say. I didn't even have to tell you my idea." I smiled to let her know how pleased I was.

She looked up at me confused. "What do you mean?"

"I was just about to make a suggestion to you, I'd like for usto make this our special room to talk with each other openly, with complete honesty, but it looks like you beat me to it by doing exactly that. Did you read my mind?"

I wiggled my eyebrows at her in an attempt to make her laugh. She didn't disappoint. The sound of her giggle was infectious.

Her hands dropped down to her hips in mock annoyance. "No, actually I was just trying to ease some of my perpetual guilt and the truth slipped out." She stuck her tongue at me playfully but then turned serious right after. "I really am sorry about lying Edward, but don't you see I felt responsible for bringing that lug head into your house to begin with. I was trying to spare you from bearing the consequences of his inappropriate behavior. " The look of stubbornness swept across her face.

I frowned at her words. "Bella, that's just it. You just don't get it do you?" My fingers ran through my hair in frustration. "We all make mistakes, you're only human and frankly I still don't understand why you think it's your fault that you met a guy who turned out to be a psychotic bastard. HE is a manipulating son of a bitch who's controlling you by using your weakness. He knows you would do anythingto prevent harm to your family and that you won't allow anyone to help you."

My temper was rising.

I had to get through to her somehow. "Don't you see? James _knew_ he could _own_ you because of your loving nature." I grabbed her hand. "He calculated every step of the way. If you would listen to what I'm saying you'll find that you have the power to destroy his plans simply by not doing what he expects from you. But you have to let me in Bella. You have to _trust_ me." I was relatively sure my eyes were pleading with her.

We sat there without speaking again for what seemed like hours, the bubbling of the water and our slight breaths the only sounds in the room.

"I really like your idea about being honest in this room." Bella said, breaking the silence. "I'd like to start by telling you something about James…and me."

She looked so nervous that I couldn't help but worry how bad her confession was going to be. My entire body stiffened, preparing for the worst.

She locked her eyes onto mine with determination. "I...uh… just wanted to tell you that James and I haven't had sex since I became his submissive." Her eyes darted around the room before returning to mine. "I assumed you knew that since it was always a stipulation to his business associates. They were forbidden to have intercourse with me. In his deranged mind he believes he's sparing me pleasure." She rolled her eyes. "I thought he surely gave you that same instruction, but Alice was so surprised when I told her. She thought I should mention it to you."

I couldn't help but wonder why James hadn't given me that instruction. That thought intrigued me, but the relief over her admission was so great that I let it go for the moment.

She was crimson red by the end of her speech. It was the best news I'd heard in a long time, probably ever. I broke out into a wide grin followed by a joyful laugh.

I let out a deep bellow that I was sure had never come from my mouth before.

It was several moments before I realized she may have misunderstood my reaction. She looked insulted. How could she mistake my reaction as anything other than pure joy?

I ran my fingertip across her flushed cheek. "I'm sorry Bella," I said through a massive grin. "I just expected you to say something far worse than that."

She pulled away from my touch. "Well, I'm glad I could amuse you. If this is how it's gonna feel when I speak my mind, I may need to rethink your idea of open conversation in this room."

_Oh shit, she really is angry with me._

I took her hands in mine. "Bella, come on. I'm sorry I laughed at your confession. I've had a rough day and when you said you wanted to tell me something about you and James, I automatically assumed the worst." I looked into her eyes with sincerity. "I'm just sorelieved. That's why I laughed. I wasn't mocking you. How could you even think I would do that?"

Her brow rose curiously. "Why did you have a rough day?" Trust Bella to pick up on that. "Was it so bad with your father?"

Now she looked worried for me. It appeared both of our moods were all over the charts and given the content of what I needed to discuss with her it wasn't going to get less erratic anytime soon.

I shook my head reassuringly. "No it wasn't bad at all. Don't worry."

I was trying to give myself a little time to sort through my thoughts. I honestly didn't know where to begin.

I knew I had to tell her that I met her father and the about his fundraiser. I also had to tell her about the Volturi brothers and what their interest may mean about Jasper.

She folded her arms firmly together. "I thought you asked me to be honest with you and now here you are being evasive with me." She raised an eyebrow suggestively, the same way I'd done to her. It made me smile.

I let out a long sigh. "I'm not being evasive, I'm just hoping to process the day a bit before I start telling you about it."

Her face softened, her arms unfolded and she reached out for my hands, squeezing them tightly in hers. "Why don't you just tell me everything and we can process it together."

Before I could even think about what I was doing Bella's mouth was against mine. I had to taste her sweet lips before the stench of the words I needed to say filled the air.

I was pleasantly surprised when she reciprocated…very enthusiastically.

There was a desperate feel to our embrace. As though we needed to enjoy a few moments of pleasure before the pain of reality hit us full force.

I gripped the back of her head firmly. Her fingers eagerly wound their way into my hair and tugged on it gently.

The raw sounds of our lips smacking together was like fuel to the fire.

I devoured her mouth until I ran out of air. It took all the strength I had not to lay her down on that bench and dive into her.

Mentally I was screaming at myself to slow the fuck down and be gentle with her. But my mouth was far too busy assaulting hers, biting her lips, her jaw, gliding my tongue down the side of her neck.

Bella's soft moans filled my ears, instantly removing all coherent thought from my mind.

I fought to gain control. I pulled my face away from hers only to dive back in over and over again. She was like a drug to me, a mind altering, nirvana inducing drug to me.

Her hands ventured down, sliding discretely into my shirt. She touched the bare skin on my chest, and then dropped down even further to explore my abs, which instantly clenched in anticipation.

I knew _exactly_ where her warm little fingers were headed and just the thought of it made me groan into her neck.

"Baby, stop." I heard my gritty voice croak, shocking the hell out of both of us. _Baby?_ I never called anyone that before and I certainly didn't want her to stop what she was doing.

_What the hell?_

Much to my dismay, she listened to me and removed her soft, warm hands from my body and her luscious lips from my face.

"Sorry." She murmured placing her hands in her lap.

"I'm not," I said firmly. "Far from it." I stilled my hands that had been shamelessly groping her merely moments before and placed them on top of hers.

She looked up at me through her long lashes; her chocolate brown eyes took my words in carefully. Bella's eyes were so expressive. Like two open books for me to read. I could easily get lost in them.

An almost devilish smirk ran across her face. "Actually to be honest, I'm not sorry either, not at all." She blushed lightly, but her demeanor remained confident.

I smiled as I listened to her confession. "Well, that's very good to hear."

We sat there both of us still trying to catch our breath, panting lightly. I guess some part of my brain stayed fully functioning during my lust filled haze.

In the past I was accused, quite often, of thinking with the wrong head. So I felt kind of proud of myself…and horny, very horny.

I was so energized from our impromptu make out session that right after I caught my breath I dove right into our talk, all walls were down. There would be no barriers between us.

I started off by telling her about the meeting with my father and the fact that my parents wanted to meet her.

She gnawed away on her lip for a few seconds before cautiously agreeing to accompany me to a family dinner. I explained that my father knew nothing other than the fact that she had an abusive ex-boyfriend that I was helping to keep out of her life.

Once I felt confident that she swallowed that first bit of information I forged ahead. "There is one more thing I need to tell you about my visit with my father."

She instantly sensed my apprehension. "Just tell me Edward please. There are nosecrets in this room. Whatever it is we'll work it out together."

I ran my fingers through my hair as I exhaled a deep anguished breath. "When I first walked into my father's office, he wasn't alone." I paused briefly, feeling her eyes on me.

"Oh, who was with him?"

I took her hands in mine. "Your father." I spoke softly.

Her face went blank. She blinked several times processing the magnitude of my words.

"My father?" Her eyes widened dramatically.

"Yes."

I explained the fact that Carlisle Cullen was an active member of the community with many political connections. She seemed to be taking it all very well. Her eyes got a little glassy when I told her how warm Charlie was to me.

It wasn't until I told her about the fundraiser and my father's insistence on my attending it that she reacted.

"You're going to my father's fundraiser?" She gasped.

I nodded slowly. "I planned to get out of it but for some reason my dad's adamant that I attend. I promise to keep myself scarce and I won't be staying long. Are you okay with this?"

She took a few deep breaths as though she were trying to calm herself down. "I suppose. I mean I just hadn't thought…it's just everything is becoming so connected now." Her breaths were rapidly getting heavier. "Oh god, if my father finds out about the insane contract I was crazy enough to sign it will kill him. Please, don't let him find out Edward." Her eyes were pleading with me.

I wrapped my arms around her. "Listen to me. I promise I'll do everything in my power to protect you and your father from harm."

I could feel her heart beating rapidly against my chest. "Thank you," She whispered into my neck. The warmth of her breath trickled down my skin.

I pulled away from her so that I could look into her eyes. "Your father seems like a good man." I brushed my fingers down her cheek, "a strong man."

She nodded her head in agreement. "He's the most generous and fearless man I know."

I frowned when I saw her bottom lip poke out. "I hear he's had to fight hard for everything that he's ever gotten and that he never backs down from a challenge."

Her eyes were misty as she continued to nod her head, acknowledging the truth to my words.

I slid my arm around her shoulders. "I'm also told he's a devoted family man, and a loyal friend."

She sniffled a bit. "He is." She said in a shaky voice.

I gently pressed my lips to her forehead. "So if all of that is true then why would you believe the photos James showed you are authentic and how could you ever think your father wouldn't want to protect his little girl from the clutches of a crazed psychopath?"

There was silence for several minutes followed by a loud exhale. "I never said he wouldn't want to protect me." She paused. "He would die for me. I know that. He would do anything to take away my pain." She furrowed her brow and looked at me with steel determination. "Believe me not even for a second did I believe my father would ever cheat on Sue. But I realized it didn't matter what _I_ believed, if James released those pictures to the press they would have a field day on him. There are so many people just dying for the chance to ruin his career. I've caused my dad enough pain already Edward. I will _not _allow him to suffer another minute on _my_ account. Not if I can help it. Please say you understand that."

It was in that moment that I realized it wasn't just my heart that was connected to Bella. It was my whole freaking body. It was like every fiber of my being reacted to her in one way or another.

I was in deep….real deep and I was treading on uncharted territory. I'd never felt like that before. To be honest I didn't think it was even possible for me.

Nor had I ever wanted it.

Yet there it was just the same…feelings_…s_trong feelings. They had somehow invaded my body and mind. It felt entirely foreign to me.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, squeezing it tightly, hoping to find the right words to say to the wounded girl sitting next to me. "I do understand." I did, to a certain extent. "There is nothing wrong with you wanting to protect the people you love, but I think you're doing more than that."

I paused briefly and decided to just come out with it and ask her what I really wanted to know.

"Bella tell me the truth, is this _only_ about protecting your family or are you punishing yourself as well?"

Big, wet tears spilled from her eyes. Her quiet sniffles became heavy sobs. Instinctively my hands were on her face helping her to wipe them away…but they kept falling.

I grabbed her by the hips and pulled her up onto my lap. "Shhh. Baby, it's okay. It's not your fault. It's not your fault." I kept repeating those words to her, hoping they would sink in, wanting so badly for her to believe them.

"I… killed… her… Edward. It _is_ my fault, _all _my fault." She exclaimed through gut wrenching sobs. Her whole body was shaking beneath my arms.

There was so much pain in her voice. "Bella, you didn't kill her. Your mom died in a tragic accident that was caused by bad weather conditions."

I ran my hands through her hair. She continued sobbing uncontrollably.

I grabbed hold of her chin, lifting it up to force her eyes to meet mine. "Tell me this, would you have still asked her to drive if you knew you were going to have an accident?"

She instantly shook her head.

I kissed the side of her face. "Of course you wouldn't. But no one knows what the future holds. Sometimes it brings pleasant surprises." I brought her hand to my lips and kissed each one of her fingertips. "But sometimes it brings unexpected tragedies."

I pulled her in closer to me. Her head fell on my shoulder. I held her tight, hoping that at least some of my words managed to get through to her.

Once her breathing evened out she lifted her head up off my shoulder. "Thank you." She said through a sweet smile.

My brow furrowed at the appreciative look on her face. "For what?"

She kissed my lips softy. "For being a pleasant surprise."

I smirked at her. "You're very welcome, but the pleasure is all mine. I assure you."

She giggled lightly, her face still wet from her tears. Corny as it may be all felt right in the world again, just from that one simple sound.

It didn't take long for me to realize that all was notright in the world, far from it. Unfortunately, I needed to discuss with Bella just how _not right_ the world really was.

So, after a few quiet moments I went on to explain my visit with Jasper and the subsequent ride I took with the Volturi brothers.

We spent some time analyzing what type of connection Jasper could possibly have with such an infamous crime family. She agreed there was a strong possibility that he was a blood relative of the Volturi's.

The deceitful bastard.

I thoroughly dissected my day with her and we concluded that I needed to pay Jasper another visit and this time he would talk.

There was no fucking doubt about that.

Time always flew by quickly in the garden room but once Bella was added to the equation it seemed to double its speed. Before I knew it darkness had fallen upon us. We must have spent hours just sitting together talking on that bench.

I wondered if Eric was still unconscious or if his worthless ass was roaming around my house searching for us.

_Let the fucker sweat a little..._ I couldn't wait to lay into him. I realized it would be wise for me to reprimand him for slacking off on the job rather than to reveal the fact that my rage was actually due to him manhandling Bella.

I had to hide my feelings for her around him.

Once we got all the heavy issues out of the way we managed to actually take it down a notch and just spend some time getting to know each another.

We talked about trivial things, our favorite films, books and music. I thirsted to know more about her and she seemed eager to learn about me as well.

We had a lot in common, though I certainly didn't share Bella's great love for Matthew McConaughey movies. What the hell she saw in that flake was beyond me.

I endured my fair share of sappy chick flicks over the years thanks to my sister. So I knew firsthand what his films entailed.

I was in the middle of teasing Bella for her ridiculous taste in movies when I saw a spark of light flash through her eyes.

I couldn't resist it. "Hey there perty lady. What's on yer mind?" I drawled, giving her my best Matthew McConaughey impression.

She giggled mischievously and then flushed brighter than I'd ever seen before.

She coughed lightly. "Um... well I was just thinking about…oh…never mind." She looked away in embarrassment.

She was covered in a delicious pink blush. It made me want to do obscene things to her. I couldn't help but wonder what on earth had gotten her so riled up?

"Bella?" I reached out for her chin bringing her face close to mine. "Come on. Tell me what you're thinking. Remember, there are _no_ secrets in here."

I gave her a crooked smile, hoping it would weaken her resolve the way her smiles always weakened mine.

She squirmed around a bit, clearly uncomfortable with what she was about to say. "I was just thinking about last night." Her skin practically burst into flames beneath my fingertips. I still had her on my lap, with no plans of ever letting her go.

My eyebrow shot up. "Really, which part of last night were you thinking about?"

I spent a good portion of my day thinking about the previous night. Having her warm body so close to mine certainly wasn't helping matters, but for the first time in my fucking life I didn't want it to justbe about sex.

It wasn't like that with Bella.

Don't get me wrong, sex with her was by far the most mind blowing experience I'd ever had, but it wasn't the _only_ thing I wanted from her. Not by a long shot.

She pulled herself up straight using my shoulders for leverage. "Um…pretty much the whole night, but when you made me come like I never knew possible. That was kind of my _favorite_ part."

I choked on my own breath. She was certainly full of surprises. "Oh yes, I vaguely recall that."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Well, it's something I'm quite sure I'll never forget."

I looked directly into her eyes. "Neither will I."

A smug grin erupted on my face, I can't lie her words stroked my ego, but I didn't want her to think it was purely physical for me.

I wanted her to know how I felt about her, but the same damn doubts kept holding me back.

_When did I turn into such a wuss? _

I decided to just grab the bull by horns and stop being such a fucking pansy.

"Last night…meant a lot to me. I'm not very good at this sort of thing, so bear with me." I glanced up at her and was rewarded with a warm smile. "I'm not proud to tell you this, but in the past sex meant nothing to me." I wanted to be honest with her. "It was always just for fun."

Her smile disappeared completely.

I exhaled a deep breath. "But with you, it's different. Everything is different…it's better. There are… feelingsthere. That's something I never experienced before. I care for you Bella."

And there it was, my heart, I threw it on the line for her.

She looked speechless and I was really hoping that wasn't a bad sign. After a few endless minutes she finally responded. "It meant a lot to me too, so much." She said softly.

I felt like I was in high school all over again, but even then I never went so soft over a girl. Bella was just different that was the only way to explain it.

"It's probably really obvious, but I have feelings for you too." She blushed wildly and I fought the urge to lick her. "I feel like a completely different person when I'm with you….less inhibited…alive. As a matter of fact I was just thinking…" she abruptly clamped her mouth shut.

I stared at her intently. "You were just thinking…?"

She shook her head. "Uh…nothing." She looked away quickly.

"Come on, you can tell me anything."

She looked hesitant, but I made sure to give her my most desperate eyes.

She fidgeted a bit with her hair, nervously pulling it behind her ears. "Okay but please don't laugh at me. I'll die. Promise you won't laugh?" She eagerly awaited my response.

"I promise." I said confidently, laughing was the lastthing on my mind at that moment, if she only knew the thoughts that were racing through my mind she'd be heading for _the hill_.

"Well, I was just thinking that we're going to have to do a play scene soon, you know so Eric can report it back to James." She paused, glancing my way. "Not that I'm complaining about Eric being there or anything, I understand it's a necessity…but what if…." She paused again.

The suspense was killing me. I had no idea what she was trying to say.

She took a deep breath and looked directly into my eyes. "What if we played our first scene without him around?"

My mouth literally dropped open. I was speechless. Why in the world would she even want to do a scene without him around? If Eric wasn't there then there was no need for us to act as Dom and sub at all.

Her eyes darted to the floor. I hadn't thought it possible but she managed to flush even brighter than before.

_What the hell is going on?_

Slowly I brought my lips to her ear. "Bella." I whispered very softly. I didn't want to mess this up. I could see how fragile she was and I knew my reaction was crucial.

Her body shivered slightly as my breath ran down the side of her neck.

"Yes?" Her eyes were closed tightly.

My lips hovered over her ear. "Why would you want to do a play scene with just the two of us?"

Her eyes popped open and slowly she turned her face to look at me. "Um…I was just thinking it would be kind of nice if our first scene was a more personalexperience." She cleared her throat. "Then when we have to do it in front of Eric it might feel a little more comfortable." Her teeth clamped down on her bottom lip. "It's a stupid idea. Just forget I said anything okay?" She went to stand up, but I grabbed her hand pulling her back down to me.

"Where do you think you're running off to?" I scolded her playfully. "I never said I didn't like the idea. As a matter of fact, I think it makes a lot of sense."

"It does?" She looked shocked.

I nodded my head. We sat there staring at each other intently.

"I just have one last question and since there are no secrets in this room I want you to answer me honestly okay?"

She nodded her head in agreement.

I took a deep breath and released it slowly before speaking. "Is that the _only_ reason you want to do a scene without Eric around?"

Her eyes widened slightly. It was several moments before she slowly shook her head.

My heart was racing in my chest. I swallowed forcefully. "Tell me."

Her chin dropped down elongating her beautiful neck. "I know it sounds crazy, but there's a part of me that's...curious to find out what it would feel like to be dominated by someone that isn't a sadistic psychopath." A guilty look was etched into her face.

Oh Christ, she was killing me. "Bella, you don't have to be dominated by anybody. You never have to do anything that you don't want to do."

She kissed my lips softly. "I know I don't have to." Her eyes held firmly on mine. "I want to. Well, I mean I want to see what it would be like...with _you._" She rubbed her nose against mine sensually.

_Fuck_! Was she serious? "Are you serious?" The filter was off and I was just saying my thoughts out loud.

She nodded her head in affirmation. "I know you're not a real Dom and I'm not a real sub and I'm probably not very good at it. I...I just thought that _maybe_ you were a little curious too, but if you don't want to-"

I stopped her right there, placing my finger on her moving lips. "Meet me in the playroom in ten minutes."

* * *

_**So here we are finally going to the playroom in the next Chapter. TropicalSorbet and me changed the last part of this Chapter several times. I wasn't sure Bella should be the one asking for the playroom but fact is it has to be her idea. Edward would never ask of Bella to be his submissive. This Chapter was all about their relationship. Unfortunately they started it with sex so I'm sure this will cause some problems in the future but for now Bella chose sex as a communication device.  
**_

_**I already started Chapter 13 so before you all get angry over this fact wait till you read Bella's explanation..if you are still not convinced by then you can flame all you want ;) **_

_**I'm still open for suggestions regarding the first time in the playroom...I'm having some ideas but what do YOU think should their first play be about? I'm not promising to write every single suggestion but I promise to make it worth it for everyone if you send me your ideas (of course I will give you the credit for the idea if I use it ;-) )**_

_**Can't wait for your ideas! Review!**_

_**About the**_** Winter Garden:** The origin of the winter garden dates back to the 17th to 19th centuries where European nobility would construct large conservatories that would house tropical and subtropical plants and would act as an extension of their living space.


End file.
